Severity of third wave low, 1 out of 1,000 succumbs to virus in TN: Radhakrishnan

Chennai

The severity of the Covid outbreak during the third wave islow as compared to the second wave and the death rate has remained at anaverage of one individual succumbing to 1,000 cases, a senior Tamil Nadugovernment official said on Sunday.

Unvaccinated individuals and those eligible to receive the 'precautionarybooster dose' also pose a risk to contracting the contagion and this hasemerged as a larger point of view of the medical experts who met here, HealthDepartment Principal Secretary J Radhakrishnan said here.

"The death rate during the second wave of COVID-19 was 1:100 and duringthe third wave it was 1:1,000. That is, if there are 30,000 cases reported, wehave 30 people succumbing to the virus," he said. "The view ofmedical experts is that the severity of the disease is low this time... Andthis (death rate) is an example to that," he told reporters.

Elaborating, he said, "Even those who succumb to the virus, nearly 80 percent of them comprise unvaccinated people and those who have received singledose of vaccination".

"Unvaccinated (people) comprise 68 per cent of the deaths while those whoreceived single dose of vaccination comprise 12 per cent. Today, we had ameeting of health experts and their broader view is that the risk of contractingthe virus is similar to those who have not received the vaccination and thosewho have completed nine months after receiving the second dose and are waitingfor a booster dose," he said.

As Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian reiterated onSaturday, people who are eligible to receive the 'booster precautionary dose'should get vaccinated immediately, Radhakrishnan said.

Noting that the virus was surging at the global level, he said even in India itwas a similar case and one satisfying news in Tamil Nadu was that somedistricts like Chennai, Chengalpet, Cuddalore, and Vellore have indicated thatthe virus trend was declining in these districts.

"But at the same time we should not forget that the cases are increasingin 30 districts (of the state)," he said.

Radhakrishnan said the occupancy level of hospital beds was also low during thethird wave as compared to the earlier waves and added that of the total 1.94lakh (active) cases, 12,134 people required hospitalisation.

"One general take-away point is that we should maintain social distancing,and follow all protocols while in public... People should extend theircooperation (to government by following COVID-19 behaviour)," he said.