High Covid-19 death rate in Mysuru on decline

Mysuru: Death rate due to Covid-19 in Mysuru has remained higher compared to both the State and even the national average.

From the month of July, death rate due to Covid 19 in Mysuru stood at 2.22 percent as against the State average of 1.50 percent and the national average of 1.57 percent. In the past two months, however, there has been slight decline in deaths due to the infection.

In Karnataka, there were 15,242 Covid 19 cases and 246 deaths and the death rate was 1.61 percent on June 30. On July 31, the state reported 12,4115 Covid-19 cases, 2,314 deaths while the death rate was 1.86 percent. On August 31, the state registered 34,2423 infection cases, 5,702 deaths while the death rate was 1.66 percent. And as on September 26, there were 56,6023 Covid 19 cases and 8,503 deaths and the death rate is 1.50 percent.

Compared to the entire state, Mysuru reported 268 cases and three deaths on June 30 while the death rate stood at 1.11 percent. On July 31, there were 4,217 cases and 142 deaths. In the month, the death rate shot up to 3.36 percent. On August 31, there were 17,949 cases and 444 deaths and the death rate has declined to 2.47 percent. As on September 26, there have been 32,348 cases and 721 deaths and the death rate further declined to 2.22 percent.

Dr Sanjeev Rao Girimaji, noted general physician attached to private hospital who had been treating Covid patients said, "Globally, Covid 19 death rate stands at 3.01 percent. Death rate depends on the time of diagnosis and presentation to hospital, co-existing illness. As we have seen in last three months, death risk is higher in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart disease. Almost everyone without co-morbidites have recovered," he said.

District surgeon, incharge of Covid hospital in Mysuru Dr Rajeshwari Devi said, " Some of the factors for the high death rate in Mysuru could be attributed to late diagnosis and late presentation of Covid cases with co-morbidites. Due to ramping up of testing, the death rate in Mysuru is slowly coming down," she said.

Another doctor who did not want to be quoted pointed that, "Fear of stigma to get tested for Covid 19 seems has gradually declined in the recent past when compared to past three months. Patients are now open for getting tested. Testing capacity has also increased. This has led to early diagnosis and decline in death rate in the past two months."