The State Death Audit Committee, which has analysed 10 of the 15 deaths that occurred since December 15 in Karnataka, has found COVID-19 to be an incidental finding in nine of the deceased.
Only one death from Dakshina Kannada, which occurred in a private hospital on December 20, has been attributed to COVID-19 by the committee. A 40-year-old patient from Mangaluru, who was COVID-positive and admitted on December 19 with symptoms of SARI, suffered a multi-organ dysfunction and died the next day.
K. Ravi, Chairman of the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), who also heads the Death Audit Committee, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the Mangaluru death is the only fatality that can be attributed to COVID-19. All the other nine are due to poor management of comorbidities and late admission for complications,” he said.
“Although the Mangaluru patient, who was brought in an unconscious condition to the hospital, also tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival, we have concluded it to be due to COVID-19 because his inflammatory markers were elevated. While he did not have any pre-existing comorbidities, his blood sugar levels were found to be high on admission. Besides, he was also a chronic alcoholic,” Dr. Ravi said.
C.N. Manjunath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said one of the deceased, a 41-year-old patient, had undergone open heart surgery for double valve replacement. “He was admitted to Jayadeva with tiredness and fatigue as the previously implanted valve had degenerated. He needed a repeat valve replacement surgery, which carries a high mortality risk. Post-operatively, he had low cardiac output and difficulty breathing. He also tested positive for COVID-19 and could not survive. COVID-19 is just an incidental finding, and the primary cause of death is cardiac failure due to valvular heart disease in this patient,” he explained.
Pointing out that two of the deceased had suffered a stroke in the past and were bedridden even before admission, Dr. Ravi said all the deceased had been admitted with breathlessness and cough. “However, breathlessness and cough are not just due to COVID but due to their comorbidities. Another patient, who had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), died due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS),” he explained.
