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Trends in Kerala continued to suggest that Covid test positivity ratio (TPR) numbers are seeking to stabilise at a plateau of around 15 per cent, with Monday returning 14.55 per cent after 11,699 new cases were detected on a low sample base of 80,371 attributed to the usual weekend slack in counting.
The number of deaths came in deceptively low in two digits at 58 against the normal of 100 or beyond, at times beyond even 200. The cumulative death toll during the pandemic is now 24,661. The toll has refused to relent even after other major Covid indices have trended lower in recent times.
R-value below 1
This trend is best evidenced in lowering the R-value (reproductive capacity of the virus) in the state below the critical threshold of 1 to 0.94 latest. The R-value came in lower than 1 except three out of 14 districts, an update by the State Health Department had said on Saturday.
A study by the Department also revealed that most of those dying in the last few months had not taken a single dose of vaccination. Out of the 9,195 people who died from June 18 to September 3, only 905 (9.84 per cent) were vaccinated. About 700 had taken only one dose of the vaccine.
Only 200 of the deceased had taken both doses, and most had other serious ailments. The period of study also saw the death rate shoot up with the emergence of the Delta variant.
List of major ailments
Out of the total 9,195 deaths, 6,200 (67.43 per cent) people had serious ailments. About 2,995 others did not have any serious complications. The serious ailments include diabetes (26.41 per cent); cardiac issues (11.07 per cent); kidney ailment (8.19 per cent); respiratory disease (4.14 per cent); paralysis (2.73 per cent); and thyroid (1.67 per cent).
Health Minister Veena George said that the State government aims to complete the first dose of vaccination of those above 18 years of age before September 30. By October 4, when higher educational institutions open, all college students will be vaccinated with at least the first dose.
As on Monday, 91.80 per cent of the eligible population (2,45,37,535) had received the first dose of vaccination and 39.7 per cent (1,06,22,133), the second dose. In the 45+ age group, 96 per cent has received the first dose and 58 per cent, the second dose, Health Department statistics revealed.
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