Co-morbid patients constitute majority of Covid-19 deaths
New Delhi: The majority of COVID-19 deaths in Delhi till Monday were co-morbid patients who had the simultaneous presence of more than one health disorder or critical illness in them.
As per the government's data, out of total 7,233 positive cases, 73 have died during their treatment. Among those, 61 were detected severe medical history which is 85.29 per cent of total deaths occurred.
Among 61 patients who lost their lives, 36 people were above 60 years of age and among them 33 people or 90.91 per cent were having multiple health issues like cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, heart ailments, etc.
A total of 24 people between the age group 50 to 60 were succumbed out of which 18 people or 78.26 per cent were having a serious illness.
A total of 13 deaths were reported from below 50-year-old age group and among them, 10 people or 83 per cent were co-morbid patients.
According to the health experts, the simultaneous presence of disorders may exist independently of each other or may be interlinked due to the same underlying causes. A person with obesity often suffers from heart disease or diabetes. COVID-19 is more likely to be fatal in people who already have hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.
It is also important to understand the impact of co-morbidity while deciding how to treat patients. While these conditions are usually manageable with regular medicines and appropriate medical attention, the development of another infection puts a patient at risk of death.
"As per MOHFW, 70 per cent mortality due to COVID is observed in patients with existing co-morbid conditions. Patients with hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease heart disease are at more risk of mortality due to COVID. Hence in day to day life precautions such as frequent hand washing, wearing face cover, avoiding the crowded place, social distancing should be practice. along with this prescribed treatment for these morbidities should be adhered too," said Dr Harshal R Salve, Associate Professor Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS.
