Research reveals COVID-19 fatality numbers
A TOTAL of 1298 deaths relating to COVID-19 were reported between April 15 and November 14, 2021, out of which 696 were categorised as being because of COVID-19.
This, according to a new research released in the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal.
“For the first four months of the outbreak, deaths directly associated with COVID-19 primarily occurred in the Central Division; they later spread to the Western Division and then to the Eastern Division,” states the report.
It stated 495 out of 696 deaths were reported from the Central Division, where 380 occurred among males, 526 occurred among people of iTaukei ethnicity and 553 occurred among unvaccinated people.
“Although deaths were reported across all age groups, the median age of deaths because of COVID-19 was 67 years, and the highest percentage of deaths occurred in those aged greater than or equal to 70 years (44.3 per cent, 308/696).”
The research found majority of deaths directly associated with COVID-19 occurred at home, where 394 died at home, out of which 212 were males and 340 were among iTaukei people.
The research found 302 out of total 696 deaths occurred in a hospital or healthcare setting, out of which 170 were among males, 186 were among iTaukei people and 111 were among people aged greater than or equal to 70 years.
Data in the research states out of the 302 deaths that occurred in the hospital or healthcare setting, 133 occurred within one day of admission, 28 occurred two days after admission and 141 occurred more than of equal to three days after admission.
“Early in the outbreak when there were fewer cases, less than half of deaths occurred at home; however, during the peak of the outbreak (15 July to 12 August) more than 60 per cent of deaths occurred at home rather than in a health facility.
“From September onwards, this proportion decreased as the number of cases and deaths decreased.”
The research was done by Nashika Sharma and Dashika Balak from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Shaneel Prakash from Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources and Julia Maguire from the World Health Organization Representative Office for the South Pacific.