Kerala Covid deaths 150 not 97: Govt hiding actual toll?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least 30 deaths of Covid-19 patients since July 22 to August 6 have been excluded from the state's Covid fatality list citing comorbidities. Experts point out that such under-reporting of deaths is against prescribed WHO and ICMR norms and the pre-existing condition of a person should not be considered the primary cause of death if he/she tests positive for the virus.Kerala’s official Covid toll so far is 97 (including Friday) whereas, several experts contend, it should actually be 150 or more.

The 30 recent unaccounted deaths include three on July 22, one each on July 23, 26 and 27, four each on July 29, 30 and 31, two on August 1, three each on August 3 and 4 and four on Thursday (August 6).
As per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), a Covid-19 death is one resulting from a clinically compatible illness in a probable or confirmed Covid-19 case unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to the disease (eg trauma).
“Anyone dying during Covid illness (unless he/she is declared recovered) is a Covid death if there is no other cause like suicide or accident," said Dr S S Lal, a public health expert who worked with WHO earlier.
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has also recommended doctors not to enter comorbidities as the underlying cause of death in people who died with a Covid-19 infection in its guidelines for death certification.
Many states are undercounting deaths
The reason is that deaths due to complications from comorbidities in someone infected with Covid-19 are typically uncommon at the time of a pandemic. Not just Kerala, many states are undercounting the number of deaths,” said Dr Arun N M, internal medicine expert.
At least eight of these 30 deaths were reported in Thiruvananthapuram while Ernakulam had four deaths. There are also reports that at least 13 other deaths in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram in July were not counted as Covid fatalities citing comorbidities.
“We are not going by the guidelines fixed by ICMR. At least 150 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in the state so far though the government data show only 97 deaths. I believe the ICMR will take this undercounting of deaths seriously and warn states,” Dr Arun said.
“The health department is now sending samples of the deceased to NIV, Alappuzha for reconfirmation. It is purely unnecessary to wait for the NIV test results once the samples are tested positive in respective districts,” he said.
As per the WHO directive on TB or HIV, all deaths are considered TB/HIV deaths even if the patient had any other trauma. “The state is not going to gain anything by undercounting the deaths. In fact, counting the suspected deaths is also crucial in getting a true picture of the pandemic,” Dr Lal said.
The state had earlier excluded the death of a Mahe native from its official tally citing that Mahe is part of Puthucherry though he had succumbed to Covid-19 at Pariyaram medical college hospital on April 11. Thiruvananthapuram (17) has the highest number of deaths reported so far in the state, followed by Ernakulam (15) and Kozhikode (12).