Ludhiana Covid toll: 71% comorbid, 50% patients above 60

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, February 2

In what appears to be a warning sign for comorbid and senior citizens, a whopping 71 per cent of the total Covid deaths reported in Ludhiana so far were of comorbid patients while 50 per cent of the virus casualties were aged 60 years and above, the administration has confirmed.

Ludhiana district has earned the dubious distinction of the ‘Covid capital of the state’ with the maximum of 2,230 local residents succumbing to the dreaded virus till Wednesday. The total tally of Covid deaths in the district was, however, 3,342, which included 1,112 outsiders, who died of the virus in Ludhiana so far. In another disturbing fact, over 78 per cent of the Covid deaths were reported from urban areas, including over 72 per cent from the city alone, while over 64 per cent deceased were male, the official figures have revealed.

The classification of the Covid deaths reported till February 1 done by the district Health Department, a copy of which is with The Tribune, showed that of the total 2,227 local residents who died due to the dreaded virus till Tuesday, 1,582, which accounted for 71.04 per cent, were comorbid while 1,108, constituting 49.75 per cent, were aged 60 years and above.

As per the data, 1,428 Covid deaths, accounting for 64.12 per cent, were male, 797, constituting 35.79 per cent, were female, and two, which turned out to be 0.09 per cent, were children. In the age-wise break-up, 656, accounting for 29.46 per cent, were aged between 50 and 60 years, and 461, constituting 20.7 per cent, were aged 50 years and above.

Among other categories, 1,748, accounting for 78.49 per cent, Covid deaths were reported in urban areas, including a whopping 1,614, constituting 72.47 per cent, were from Ludhiana city alone while 134, accounting for 6.02 per cent, were from urban block. Rural areas reported 529 Covid deaths, which accounted for 23.75 per cent.

Of the 1,582 comorbid persons, who died of Covid, 1,315 were suffering from multiple ailments while 43 deceased were found to be cancer patients.

In January, Ludhiana reported 102 Covid deaths of local residents, of which 48, which accounted for 47.06 per cent, were non-vaccinated, 26, constituting 25.49 per cent, were fully vaccinated, and 11 deceased persons, accounting for 10.78 per cent, were partially vaccinated with the single dose, while the status of 17 death cases, constituting 16.67 per cent, remained unknown.

Among other categories, 92 Covid deaths in January, constituting 90.2 per cent of the total casualties reported in the month, were of comorbid patients, 73, accounting for 71.57 per cent, were male, 29, constituting 28.43 per cent, were female, 73, accounting for 71.57 per cent, were from urban areas, including 68 from Ludhiana city alone and five from urban block, while 29, constituting 28.43 per cent, were ruralites.

In the age-wise break-up of the January data, 59 Covid deaths, constituting 57.84 per cent, were of persons aged 60 years and above, 21, accounting for 20.59 per cent, were aged between 50 and 60 years, and 22, constituting 21.57 per cent, were aged 50 years and above.

Of the comorbid Covid deaths reported in January, 85 were suffering from multiple ailments while seven were cancer patients. Among the patients, who died during hospitalisation, 36, accounting for 35.29 per cent, succumbed to Covid in less than 24 hours of hospital admission, 25, constituting 24.51 per cent, within three days of hospitalisation, and 41, accounting for 40.2 per cent, died after more than 72 hours of hospitalisation.

OFFICIALSPEAK

We have been exhorting the public to come forward and get themselves fully vaccinated to save their precious lives as well as help check further spread of the virus. Besides conducting daily free vaccination at 290 sites, including 196 for Covishield, 77 for Covaxin and 17 for 15-18 years, special immunisation camps and door-to-door vaccination drive are also being undertaken on a regular basis in the district. – Varinder Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner

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