For the first time since the pandemic outbreak, the covid fatality rate in November has dropped to 0.35 per cent in the city compared to 0.56 per cent in March 2020.
As per the civic health department, 85 people succumbed to the virus in November compared to 131 in October, followed by 129 in September. However, until December 18, 23 people have died due to coronavirus. Civic officials and health experts have attributed this to the treatment protocols, senior doctors attending to severe or critical patients, and 'Mission Save lives' being implemented strictly.
As per the civic body data, senior citizens accounted for 76 per cent of Covid deaths in January, 84 per cent in February and 80 per cent in March.
As vaccination opened for senior citizens in March, the deaths dropped to 65 per cent in April, while that of people between 40-60 years touched 30 per cent, up from 14 per cent in March. In September and October, however, their proportion rose to 79 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively, almost like the prevaccination months.
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said the success ratio was due to fatalities were closely monitored. After the launch of the nine-point ‘Mission Save Lives’ in June last year, the situation has improved. “Through the second wave, we optimised our treatment protocols, senior doctors were attending to severe or critical patients. Moreover, the city had zero covid deaths four times in the second wave,” he said. Head of the state Covid-19 death audit committee, Dr Avinash Supe, said even on the mortality front, the city’s numbers have been good.
The fatality rate has been consistently under 1 per cent for months now despite everything opening up and post-Diwali celebrations.
“Now we expect the same for the coming days as we are in the endemic stage. Moreover, there was a stigma and scepticism about coronavirus earlier and many patients were delaying their hospital admission,” he said, adding that in the first wave nearly 21,000 patients got admitted after three to six days of the onset of the symptoms. Due to this delay, 50 per cent of the patients died within 48 hours of admission, he said.
