Pre-existing ailments behind 29 COVID deaths out of 40 in Delhi: Health Ministry

An interim analysis done by Union Health Ministry has revealed that over 70 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in 40 cases reported in Delhi was due to co-morbid conditions in which the deceased were having pre-existing ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney diseases, etc.

An interim analysis done by Union Health Ministry has revealed that over 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in 40 cases reported in Delhi was due to co-morbid conditions in which the deceased were having pre-existing ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney diseases, etc.

The data for the survey was collected from the Central government hospitals in Delhi such as Lady Hardinge Medical College, AIIMS, Dr. RML Hospital, and Safdarjung Hospital for the period of May 9 to May 15. "Out of 40 deaths, co-morbidity was involved in 29 cases. The conditions of co-morbidity occurred due to diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney diseases, etc. Of these 29 deaths, in 26 cases the cause of death was acute respiratory disorder failure," said a government official.

"These are very primary data collected from the initial COVID-19 mortality data. As several people are having pre-existing diseases and among them, the elderly are high-risk group, the report findings indicate that these vulnerable group of people should be more cautious, take good care of themselves and follow all guidance on preventive measures for COVID-19 as directed by the government," said the official. "Among these 40 deaths, more than 50 percent of people were in the age group of 41 to 60 years and about 35 percent of people were above 60 years of age," said the official, adding that the study is going to be expanded further.

The officials are collecting the COVID-19 mortality data on a daily basis from various hospitals to find the cause of deaths, risk of fatality involved in each case. The official also pointed out that at present autopsy is not being done in case of COVID-19 deaths and, hence, it is very difficult to trace the exact cause of deaths.

It may be noted that some countries in the West have conducted an autopsy on COVID-19 deceased, wherein the cause of death was found to be 'thrombosis', which is a serious medical condition.