Mortality rate in Thiruvananthapuram hits 0.7%, highest in Kerala

Aswin J Kumar | TNN | Sep 15, 2020, 16:17 IST

Policemen prepare a face shield as they stand guard in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

Policemen prepare a face shield as they stand guard in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monda...Read More

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Capital’s mortality rate has peaked to 0.7% in two weeks and has gone past Kannur to record the highest in the state. Since September 1, 58 deaths have been officially recorded in the district and 63% of persons who died of Covid-19 in the district were between 60-80. At least five of them were above 80.
The deceased list also includes a 93-year-old man from Kovalam, a 94-year-old woman, and a 101-year-old man. How persons aged above 80 got infected has thrown questions on the efficacy of reverse quarantine in the district. Officials said that family members of many of these elderly persons were also confirmed with Covid-19. The daily list of infected shows a considerable number of persons above.
“Some of the persons who were infected with Covid-19 and died at a very old age were either bedridden or too weak to go outside. This means that they would have got infected by their family members or visitors. This has reiterated the need to protect vulnerable groups,” said a health official.
Nine deaths confirmed since September 1 were below
50. Between August and September, a 32-year-old woman, men aged 29, 27, and 21, and a 13-year-old girl who died were also confirmed with Covid-19. They all had co-morbidities. The teenager is the youngest victim in Thiruvananthapuram. Toll crossed 100 in the district in the first week of September. Before then the mortality rate was 0.62% that was the second-highest in the state after Kannur. The north Kerala district that had a mortality rate of 0.69% in the first week of September now has a death rate of 0.56%. At least 20 deaths reported in the middle of August were categorised as non-Covid and there were many cases where the patient was brought dead and then tested positive.
The district’s mortality rate, which was 0.2% in the first week of August had climbed steadily and reached 0.5% in September. In the past two weeks, the death rate has increased further with an increase in the number of daily cases.