Covid deaths: Elderly, people with comorbidities at risk, say doctors

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Senior citizens and those with comorbidities are more prone to developing severe illness and are consequently dying due to Covid-19, doctors say.

India recorded 11,692 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 28 more deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours – the highest in seven months. According to the data by the Union health ministry updated on Friday.

The active cases have increased to 66,170. Of 28 fresh deaths, nine were reported from Kerala. Delhi alone reported six deaths due to Covid-19.

“We have reported two Covid deaths so far in elderly patients with comorbidities,” said Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, group medical director, Max Healthcare, and senior director at its Institute of Internal Medicine.

According to the doctors, while most cases are mild in nature with cough, cold and fever, those who have asthma, uncontrolled diabetes, undergoing chemotherapy or on steroids, pregnant women, and those with heart patients are showing severe symptoms requiring hospitalisation.

“Those who are dying are those who have had compromised health,” added another doctor at a government hospital requesting anonymity. There has been a surge in Covid cases across the country since last month. With the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the Centre on Friday asked eight states to maintain a strict watch amid consistent rise in cases.

Underlining that Covid is still not over, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana and Delhi urged them to maintain strict vigil.The health secretary instructed the states to monitor severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) trends, increase testing, submit more samples for genome sequencing, and promote precautionary doses.

The pandemic is still not over, and we must remain cautious against laxity at any level, which may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far. It is essential that states must maintain a strict watch and take action to control any emerging spread of infection,” he said in a letter to the states.

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