Most Covid-19 deaths occur 10 days after hospitalisation: Delhi health minister

Although the cumulative case fatality ratio (CFR) – the proportion of deaths among those who tested positive for the infection – remained at about 1.57%, the seven-day average has shot up to 2.78%

Most Covid-19 patients in Delhi die 10 days after hospitalisation, said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Friday.

The improvement in timely hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients was acknowledged by the NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul in a press briefing earlier this week. (HT Archive)

“There are some deaths that still happen within three days of hospital admission. However, most deaths happen after 10 days. If you see the proportion of deaths, it has remained the same at about 1.57%. This is almost comparable to the national average of 1.48%. There was a time when Delhi’s case fatality ratio was about a percent higher than the national average,” said Jain.

Although the cumulative case fatality ratio (CFR) – the proportion of deaths among those who tested positive for the infection – remained at about 1.57%, the seven-day average has shot up to 2.78%.

Union home minister Amit Shah has said that half the deaths in Delhi were happening within the first two to three days of hospitalisations in June when Delhi had seen the first surge in the number of cases. The highest number of deaths reported in a day during the June-July surge was 101. During the current surge, the highest number of deaths reported in a single day was 131 on November 11.

“Initially, when the pandemic had started – till about June – nearly 60 to 70% of the deaths in hospitals happened within the first 72 hours. Half of these deaths happened within the first 24-hours of admission. In Delhi, there has been a dramatic change since. We are still monitoring the mortality as it shows the efficiency of the system – mobilising patients from home, ambulance service, access to beds, and efficiency of the treatment,” Dr Paul said.