Hundreds of senior citizens admitted to the Seven Hills Hospital in Marol have succumbed to the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus between December 1 to January 18, reveals the Death Audit Report of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). As per the report, 135 covid deaths have been reported during the same period in the third wave, of which 108 were senior citizens. Civic officials have cited several factors for these deaths, of which unvaccinated patients, more than two comorbidities, patients referred from other hospitals. Meanwhile, the audited causes of death were severe ARDS with Covid-19 pneumonia, septicaemia and cardiac issues.
Meanwhile, the city has reported 136 covid deaths between December 1 to January 18, which means 99 per cent of covid deaths has occurred at Seven Hills hospital. Of which 68 had comorbidities such as septicaemia, cardiac issues and others.
The report also revealed that 49 of the 135 deaths had not taken any dose of covid vaccine, while 62 were fully vaccinated. Moreover despite giving all necessary treatment patients had succumbed within seven days of admission.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner said the death audit report clearly shows that all of the deaths at the Seven Hills hospital were associated with more than one comorbidity and most of them were referral patients due to which the requirement of ICU and oxygen is higher. “Over 112 patients had been referred from other hospitals in critical conditions and all possible treatment for saving them was given including Remdesivir injections. But as their condition was already critical they were admitted to ICU,” he said.
Dr Mala Kaneria, Consultant, Infectious diseases, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre said in this Omicron driven third wave, increased deaths have been observed among the elderly, some of whom have been fully vaccinated. One of the reasons for this is the presence of associated comorbidities in the elderly, along with their advanced age which leads to a poor outcome.
“Secondly, the elderly do not mount a robust immune response to even two doses of the vaccine, due to a physiological decline in the function of the immune system with age and besides, whatever neutralizing antibodies they do manage to develop with vaccination, wane over time, rendering them susceptible to a poor outcome,” she said.
Dr Avinash Supe, head of the state Covid-19 death audit committee, says since the pandemic began, most of those who died in the city had comorbidities or had delayed treatment. However, more than 80 per cent of recent deaths were of those partially or fully vaccinated.
“The upper respiratory tract is more infected in the third wave but in some cases, the lungs are not involved as the patients were immunocompromised, due to which they succumbed. We still have around 560 people in the ICU, of whom few are on invasive ventilation. Some of them have a lower respiratory infection, which needs to be analysed,” he said.
Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state government task force on Covid-19, also said that senior citizens need to remain watchful even if Covid is triggering mild symptoms.
"Those who are unvaccinated partially vaccinated or severely immunocompromised should continue to remain extremely cautious," Dr Joshi added.
