88% of Covid victims in Punjab suffered from serious ailments

Eighty-eight percent of the patients who died of Covid-19 in Punjab had serious co-morbid diseases while the rest of the deaths could purely be attributed to the infection, an analysis of the state health department till the second week of April has revealed

Eighty-eight percent of the patients who died of Covid-19 in Punjab had serious co-morbid diseases while the rest of the deaths could purely be attributed to the infection, an analysis of the state health department till the second week of April has revealed.

88% of Covid victims in Punjab suffered from serious ailments

Among the deceased with co-morbidities, diabetic patients have emerged as more prone to the virus, accounting for 45% of the fatalities. Also, 43% of the victims with medical history were suffering from hypertension. Besides, 18% of the deceased were already suffering from heart diseases while 9% had kidney problems.

State Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said, “These were patients with a major co-morbidity and were already being treated. Nearly one-third of the patients who succumbed to the virus had two to three co-morbidities.”

“It was also found that 77% of those who died reported for the first time at their nearest health centre even as their symptoms had reached severe level. Only 14% reported when their symptoms were moderate while 8% reported when they still had mild complications,” he added.

Of 2,096 fatalities in April, 586 in last 5 days

April has been the deadliest month during the pandemic run in Punjab so far, with 2,096 succumbing to the virus with daily average daily deaths at 69.

Of these, the state recorded 586 deaths in the last five days only.