The total number of persons tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu is inching towards the 18,000 mark while reports came at the time of going to Press on Tuesday evening. The medical bulletin issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said that 17, 728 persons have tested positive for coronavirus till Tuesday.
A total of 9,342 persons have been discharged from various hospitals following treatment and this has put the number of active coronavirus patients in the State at 8,256. It is almost sure that the State would see the number of positive cases crossing the 20,000 mark by this weekend itself.
On Tuesday, a total of 646 persons were tested positive for covid-19 in the State. Out of this, 509 were tested positive in Chennai. A total of 54 persons who reached the State from other places in the country and foreign countries are also included in this 646 positive cases.
Nine persons were reported dead on Tuesday and this took the total number of fatalities in the State to 127. Till Tuesday, 4,12, 357 persons have been tested for the pandemic while 9,677 accounted for Tuesday alone.
Chennai topped the table of districts with maximum number of coronavirus positive cases, 11,640. As there was no respite in the number of persons testing positive for the pandemic, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy held an urgent video conference with his Cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats and medical professionals to take stock of the situation.
In an important announcement Tamil Nadu Government disclosed late Monday evening that 84 per cent of the fatalities due to covid-19 were caused by co-morbid conditions. Out of the 118 deaths reported in the State on account of coronavirus, 99 (84 per cent) had co-morbidity and 19 did not have any conditions.
Addressing reporters through video conferencing, health minister Dr Vijaya Baskar said that diabetes and hypertension were the villains in deaths reported as a fall out of coronavirus. “55 persons who died were above 60 years of age while another 55 were in the 41-60 age group. Only eight persons were in the 21-40 age group,” said the Minister.
A death audit team constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu studied the deaths happened in the State since the pandemic broke out in mid-January. “The analysis matches the scientific understanding that covid-19 affects the elderly and those who suffer from co-morbid conditions,” said Dr Baskar.
The Minister said that the study found that people above 60 years of age were highly vulnerable to the pandemic.