Kerala mannequin not working anymore? Experts query excessive Covid dying rely

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the variety of individuals dying of Covid growing steadily, severe questions are being raised in regards to the state’s technique on containment, testing and vaccination.

Kerala continues to report the very best each day dying rely within the nation, with the overall toll touching 18,280.

More than 3,000 individuals died within the final 28 days — 160 on Thursday alone — as a consequence of Covid. The variety of severely sick sufferers can be on the rise, which could hold the dying rely excessive. Experts say Kerala, which as soon as had the bottom case-fatality ratio, will meet up with different states by way of dying toll.

The Kerala mannequin had received reward when the state flattened the curve through the first wave, with all sufferers getting therapy with out overwhelming the well being system. But the time purchased couldn’t be utilised successfully for growing the vaccine protection and decreasing the each day deaths.

“The number of deaths will remain high until mid-September and we’ll catch up with other states. The treatment protocol is almost the same in all states. The way we manage the  caseload and avoid deaths at home will be the only difference in the final analysis,” mentioned inside medication specialist and public well being activist Dr N M Arun.

The stringent lockdown pushed lakhs of individuals into extreme financial disaster, however specialists wonder if it served its objective.

“We would have saved 200-250 per million in the 3.5 crore population. So we have successfully contained the pandemic till now,” mentioned immunologist Dr Padmanabha Shenoy. 

“Delaying the peak was meant to give vaccine cover to the susceptible population. But it did not happen at desired pace. So the death toll is likely to end up at 200 per million. If we could reduce mortality by 50%, it is worth sacrificing the economic impact on people,” mentioned Dr Shenoy.

Dr Arun additionally blamed the vaccine coverage for the deaths.

“A sero prevalence of 44 means more people can turn positive and die. Increasing vaccination could have made some difference. Unfortunately the most needy are not taking vaccines. Priority should have been to vaccinate the most vulnerable first. It means vaccination in the 18-44 age-group should have been delayed,” he mentioned.

The Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics chairman Dr U Nandakumar Nair mentioned the failure to manage life-style illnesses contributed on to the toll.

“Every epidemic has a nature: Whom to hurt the most. In the case of Covid, it is the elderly and those with comorbidities. While we can’t do much about ageing, death among people with comorbidities could have been reduced. But we have very poor control over it. Lack of scientific temperament is worseing the situation,” he mentioned.

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