15 Covid-19 deaths in Agra in October so far, case fatality rate above 2%

AGRA: The number of Covid-19 deaths continue to increase in

Agra

district. Till Sunday, a total of 15 Covid-19 patients have died in the district. In the past eight days, seven Covid-19 infected patients died under treatment. So far, 142 Covid-19 patients have died in Agra, taking the

case fatality rate above 2%

in the district.


According to the health department officials, a majority of these patients were above 50 years of age and died due to co-morbid conditions. Diabetes was a common cause for about 80% Covid-19 fatalities in Agra.

Last week, during a review meeting in Agra, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma had raised questions over the frequent deaths of Covid-19 patients in the district.

Dr Sanjay Kala, principal of SN Medical College (SNMC), said, “Comorbidity is the main cause of death in Covid-19 positive patients above 60 years of age. Delay in detection of symptomatic Covid-19 patients and not getting them admitted to the hospital is also a major reason for the deaths, particularly in the age group 40 to 60. Anyone having fever and breathing difficulties should immediately contact a doctor."

To provide best possible treatment, SNMC administration has started working on a plan to develop a super specialty centre for Covid. In its first phase, an 85-bed ICU facility will be developed for Covid-19 patients in critical condition. Here, 30 ventilators will be made available. Besides, 20 bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and 25 high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) machines have been acquired.

SNMC is also going to set up an advanced pathology for diagnosis of health issues related to Covid patients. For this, four modern machines have been acquired from a company authorised by the state. These include high-performance liquid chromatography, fully automated biochemistry analyzer, hormone analyzer, point of care testing and Elisa reader.

Meanwhile, Chief medical officer Dr RC Pandey said, “So far, 7,015 Covid-19 cases have been reported in Agra district. Of these, 6,450 [91.9%] have been declared cured of the infection. The number of active Covid-19 cases in the district is 423. The current Covid-19 fatality rate is 2.02%."

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.