Coronavirus Update: 23% of deaths occur at homes

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Homes across Sindh contributed over 23% of the total COVID-19 fatalities till July 1 morning when the provincial health authorities confirmed deaths of another 29 virus infected patients including nine of those kept in home isolation, with 2,139 new infection, pushing the overall tally of deaths to 1,406 and infection to 86,795. 

A source in the department revealed that as many as 328 COVID-19 deaths occurred at home during the last over three months. Seven of the nine patients reported dead at homes on July 1 were in isolation at Karachi while there was a patient each at Shikarpur and Larkana.

The source said that the number of people who died at homes in various districts of province had increased considerably in June. 

The number of deaths at home was 80 (15% of the total deaths) on June 2, which rose to 170 (18%) on June 17. Earlier, a maximum 16 COVID-19 positive cases reportedly lost their lives in home isolation in Sindh on June 27. 

Against the deaths of people isolated at homes, the tertiary care public and private hospitals and some specially designed coronavirus treatment centres on July 1 collectively reported 1,078 deaths since March 20 when the first coronavirus related death was reported in Sindh.

When this scribe had raised the issue of the out-of-proportion deaths of coronavirus patients at home about two months back, a couple of senior physicians had stated that at a time when there were less doctors to see more patients at hospitals thinking of any quality care delivery to people isolating at homes with coronavirus was not appropriate for the time being. 

It was further added that the infected people preferred to stay at homes in view of various factors including the impression that the hospitals were already saturated, the myth that the virus disease was a self-resolving issue, the apprehension that most of the hospitals were already being run in mess while lacking the expertise, caring staff or supportive intensive care units. 

A physician, with the request of anonymity, stated on July 1 that the government should review its policy of monitoring the COVID-19 patients at home. 

“The government sponsored surveillance officers should make efforts to shift the patients to the hospitals in a safe and dignified manner,” it was suggested. 

As per the health department’s daily corona summary updated on July 1 evening, in all 29 COVID-19 patients died during the last 24 hours. Of the deceased patients 24, including six women, in the age brackets of 13 to 92 died at Karachi hospitals and homes, while one woman of 58 years lost her life in Sukkur, another woman of 60 years died at Naushero Feroze. Shikarpur registered deaths of a man, aged 87, and a woman of 72. The last victim of the virus was a woman, aged 57, from Larkana.

According to the health department data the rate of daily infection was 27%, against 28% of June 30. The number of COVID-19 cases rose to 68443 in Karachi, with 1483 new infections and overall death tally 1,191. In addition, Hyderabad reported 128 new cases, followed by Sukkur (90), Shikarpur (71), Sanghar (61), Larkana (51), Shaheed Benazirabad (50), Ghotki (36), Badin (32), Dadu (25), Jacobabad (24), Mirpurkhas (23), Jamshoro (12), Tando Allahyar (12), Naushero Feroze (11), Khairpur (9), Matiari (8), Sujawal (5), Kashmore (3), Thatta (1), Tando Mohammad Khan (1), Kambar Shadadkot (1) and Tharparkar (1).