With the samples of three COVID-19 patients (who died since December 15 in Bengaluru and Ramanagara) found to be positive for JN.1 and more deaths being reported in a short span, the State Health Department is all set to start a comprehensive audit of all deaths.
On Monday, three more deaths of male patients — 65, 77 and 83 years — were reported. With this, the total number of deaths since December 15 has touched seven.
According to details made available by the Health Department, one death each has been reported from Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, and Bengaluru Urban on December 22, 23 and 24, respectively. All three were hospitalised with breathlessness. Although they were diagnosed with SARI, they also had other comorbidities. While Type 1 respiratory failure and Multi-Organ Dysfunction (MODS) have been said to be the cause of death in two patients, the third one died due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Incidental finding?
State Health Commissioner Randeep D. told The Hindu on Monday that a comprehensive audit of all deaths reported since December will be taken up to identify fatalities that can be attributed only to COVID-19 and the underlying cause in deaths where COVID-19 findings were incidental. “While whole genome sequencing (WGS) results will confirm the infecting variant, it is important to find out the exact cause of death in patients,” he said.
“The district death audit committees are already existing and will be reactivated. The committees will be asked to analyse the deaths to find out the common symptoms in the patients, if any particular age group was being affected, whether they had comorbidities, whether they reported early and got timely medical help, and their vaccination status, among other things. The district committees will submit their findings to the State death audit committee that will compile and summarise the same to chalk out early intervention strategies,” he said.
“The analysis of the symptoms and age group will also help us create awareness among people on the warning signs and the importance of reporting early to hospitals. Based on the analysis, we will also submit a proposal to the Cabinet sub-committee after discussion in the TAC if there is a need to provide additional human resources in the ICUs of State-run hospitals,” he said.
Previous death audit
Since the pandemic hit Karnataka on March 8, 2020, till date, the State Health Department has recorded a total of 40,324 deaths. The previous death audit during the third wave had thrown up some vital aspects. “We had noticed that a majority of the deaths in the third wave could have been prevented if patients had reported early. Also, over 80% of the deaths in the third wave were among those with comorbidities,” the Commissioner said.
Pointing out that people would have ignored symptoms at home for long and would have rushed to hospitals only when symptoms aggravated, the Commissioner said, “The pattern of deaths in the second wave was different from the third. We had seen people developing breathlessness and succumbing to the disease on the seventh or eighth day during the second wave.”
