Cases, deaths up 100% in 10 of 14 Kerala districts

KOCHI: Nearly nine months since the first Covid-19 case in India was detected in Thrissur, 10 of the 14 districts in Kerala have witnessed a 100% or higher surge in both positivity and mortality over the last four weeks.
In terms of 30-day moving growth rate mortality, Kottayam leads with 1,033%, followed by Alappuzha (294%), Malappuram (160%), Pathanamthitta and Idukki (133% each), Kozhikode (132%), Kollam (119%), Thiruvananthapuram (102%) and Thrissur (100 %).Kerala accounts for 10 of the 41 districts across 11 states having a 30-day mortality growth rate of over 100%. Six districts of Maharashtra are part of that list. It indicates that in the 10 districts of Kerala, both positivity and mortality has increased by over 100% in the last one month.
“The last three to four weeks Covid trend of Kerala is of serious concern,” said Mysore Sanjeev, convenor of Project Jeevan Raksha. “It is imperative for the state government to recognise it and take appropriate action.”
The health department has urged people to follow the “break-the-chain” lifestyle to reduce the rate of mortality and positivity. But health experts say that will only be possible if the state government does more testing, and on the right people, besides detecting cases early. “The state is still conducting unnecessary tests to declare that patients have recovered. Such patients are discharged even if they have Covid symptoms and many die of ‘non-Covid’ conditions soon after. Those with symptoms are afraid to get tested due to social stigma,” said Dr Arun NM, internal medicine expert.