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After 24 deaths were reported due to coronavirus infection in Uttar Pradesh, the government claimed that 88 per cent of these deaths were due to co-morbidity that hastened the patients’ end.
“The death audit suggests that 21 of 24 people who died of COVID-19 had co-morbidity. This implies that they were suffering from other diseases like diabetes, heart or other ailments besides being aged. This comes to 87.5 per cent of the toll. Although the remaining three patients did not have any other ailment, they were above 50 years of age,” Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said in Lucknow on Friday.
“Hence, the government has been repeatedly saying that people should take care of the elderly with diseases (co-morbidity) as they are more vulnerable to the coronavirus.
“Elderly people with high blood pressure, sugar, cancer or cardiac problems need special care. They should be kept inside and not allowed to meet outsiders. This is the only way of not exposing theme to the disease,” Prasad said.
The senior official said that the silver lining in the crisis was that though the total coronavirus positive cases in the state reached 1,604, 206 of them had recovered and they had been discharged from hospitals.
“Initially, we had coronavirus positive cases in 56 districts but now 10 districts have been declared coronavirus-free and the infection is present only in 46 districts. Also, earlier the rise in number of positive patients was in three digits but now it has come down to double digit which is a welcome sign,” he said.
Prasad said that as per the trend of coronavirus spread in the state, fresh cases were detected in 13 districts. Interestingly, of these, 80 cases were found in hotspots of five districts of Kanpur, Firozabad, Saharanpur, Amroha and Moradabad.
“This means we have been able to contain the spread of coronavirus in the red zone,” he said.
The principal secretary said that all Level-1 COVID hospitals had oxygen facilities and each had 15 oxygen cylinders along with other equipment.
“Besides, Level-2 and Level-3 hospitals have ventilators along with oxygen facilities,” he said.
Prasad said that several private hospitals would be attached with Level-1 COVID hospitals for asymptomatic patients.