Kerala’s Covid 19 Death Rate Far Below Global Average

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Acting fast and strong to rein in the free run of Novel Coronavirus, Kerala has been able to contain the rate of casualty due to Covid-19 at 0.54 per cent, much below the global average, besides flattening the growth curve of the confirmed cases.

Since the first confirmed Covid-19 case in the state was reported over 100 days back, loss of life due to the infection has been two against a total of 364 persons tested positive. According to WHO data as of April 9, the number of confirmed cases reported globally stood at 1436198, out of which 85522 had died. This shows a casualty rate of 5.9 per cent.

A total of 124 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals in the state while 237 persons are under treatment as of April 10, which marks a recovery rate of 33.97 per cent so far. Reports from hospitals suggest that the condition of vast majority of those undergoing treatment are stable.

The number of persons under observation as of April 10 stood at 129751, of whom 129021 are under home isolation. The northernmost Kasaragod district accounted for the largest number of 130 cases, followed by neighbouring Kannur with 38 cases and Malappuram with 16.The number of positive cases in remaining 11 districts are yet to reach double digit.

Those who pulled through the infection included eight foreign nationals stranded in the state following the outbreak of the pandemic, seven of them from UK and one from Italy. People who came from abroad, especially from the Gulf countries, accounted for majority of Covid-19 cases in the state, and most remaining patients got infected by primary contact with them.

Even as Kerala’s model of the pandemic management has been widely appreciated, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has cautioned the people against taking the situation lightly and going easy on the containment restrictions as minor slips could prove costly and spoil the hard won achievements.

Meticulously worked out policies and protocols and strict implementation have enabled Kerala to arrest the spread of dreaded virus, despite the state’s global exposure and high density of population.

Besides coming out with a calibrated response to the pandemic by co-ordinated efforts led by the Chief Minister, Health Minister K K Shailaja and senior officials, the Government has pulled all stops in mounting a massive public awareness drive, reminding the masses that overcoming the crisis called for the support of each citizen.

Even before the country-wide lockdown was enforced, Kerala had moved quick in spotting and isolating suspected cases and gearing up its public healthcare network to meet the grim challenge.