26% Covid patients in Gujarat died within 72 hours of hospitalization

AHMEDABAD: How fast did Covid-19 kill patients in Gujarat? An analysis of 3,000 deaths by the state health department reveals that 26% – or more than a quarter of the patients – succumbed to the viral infection within 72 hours of their hospitalization. In fact, 5.8% of the patients did not survive the first 24 hours.
The state health department analyzed the 3,022 deaths till August 31 to understand the mortality pattern and profile of the deceased. A top official said that factors like age and comorbidities remained constant as seen in the early phase of the pandemic. “Of the total Covid mortalities, 65% patients had comorbidities, whereas 58% deaths took place in the age group of 60 years and above. It’s the trend we have observed from the start of the epidemic,” said the official. Second highest deaths were recorded in the age group of 45 to 59 years of age. Children are the least affected as their mortality rate is merely 0.3%.

Dr Kartikeya Parmar, coordinator for Covid-19 hospital at Civil Hospital, said that mortality among Covid-19 patients is constantly on decline primarily due to the new treatment protocols and medicines. “The deaths within a short period of hospitalization could be attributed to late presentation of the infection. But it has improved considerably in the past few months,” he said.
Stability of patients has increased
The analysis also pointed at 55% of the deceased having one or more comorbidity and 10% of the deceased in ‘high-risk group,’ identified as below 10 years or above 60 years of age.
Dr Bhavik Shah, a city-based critical care specialist, said that in the past six months, the medical field’s understanding of viral infection is constantly evolving. “It affects multiple internal organs and when the patients have comorbidities, the body’s response to the Covid-19 infection aggravates. It sometimes leads to organ failure,” he said. “At our facility, we have observed only four deaths where the patients were below 50 years of age. Stability of the patients has increased in the past few months.”
Gujarat had crossed 3,000 deaths on August 30 – in 161 days since the first death was reported on March 22. At the end of August, the death rate for the state was 3.1%. Ahmedabad and Surat cumulatively accounted for 77.4% of the state’s deaths.