3 elderly men succumb, UT toll 23
Chandigarh infection count climbs to 1,374, with 530 cases still active
CHANDIGARH: As many as three deaths related to Covid-19 were added to Chandigarh’s tally on Friday, taking the toll to 23.
The three men, all aged above 60, died over the past two days. Meanwhile, with 47 fresh cases, the city’s infection count climbed to 1,374, with 530 still active. Also, with 43 more patients recovering and being sent back home, the total number of those cured has touched 820.
The first fatality has been reported from the civil hospital in Sector 48, where an 82-yearold man of Sector 7 died on Thursday.
He was admitted to GMCH, Sector 32, with complaint of chest pain and breathlessness and found Covid-19 positive on July 24.
“He was an old treated case of pulmonary tuberculosis and had the condition of diabetes mellitus. He was shifted to the Sector 48 hospital on July 27. He had suffered acute respiratory infection and was kept on oxygen there. On August 6, he was intubated and put on mechanical ventilation. He had a sudden cardiac arrest and could not be revived in spite of all efforts,” stated a health department release.
A 77-year-old man from Sector 45 also died at the same hospital on Friday. A patient of diabetes and hypertension, he was diagnosed with the infection at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, on August 1. He had been on oxygen support.
The third case is of a 62-yearold man from Sector 39, who was declared brought dead at GMSH, Sector 16, on Thursday. He tested positive for Covid-19 posthumously.
FOUR DOCTORS AMONG THOSE INFECTED
Among the fresh cases, there are four doctors and one attendant from PGIMER and GMCH.
PGIMER medical superintendent Dr AK Gupta’s personal secretary has also contracted the infection.
“My personal secretary and his brother have tested positive, following which I have been suggested to go for home quarantine for some time. I don’t have any symptoms right now,” said Dr Gupta.
Meanwhile, after a senior assistant posted in the office of executive engineer (CP division 2, roads) in Sector 9 was tested positive, the premises were sealed.
Others found infected include a private bank employee working in Mohali and a jewellery shop worker who lives in Sector 35. The new cases are spread across the city, including Sectors 15, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26, 32 , 35, 37, 40, 41, 46, 52, 55 and 56 besides Maloya, Burail, Manimajra, Dhanas, and Bapu Dham Colony. As many as 11 have come positive through antigen testing.
THOSE WHO DIED WERE AGED 82, 77 AND 62 AND WERE RESIDENTS OF SECTORS 7, 45 AND 39 RESPECTIVELY
CHANDIGARH: While the active Covid-19 cases in the city increased by nearly six times over the past 40 days, the footprint of the novel coronavirus also became much wider, now spread across 76% of the city’s areas.
As of June 27, active cases were being reported from 25 (26%) of Chandigarh’s 94 localities spread across 114 square kilometres. But by August 7, 69 (76%) areas have new infections, with no single area, like Bapu Dham Colony earlier, predominantly reporting cases.
These localities include sectors, villages and colonies, with the virus spreading faster in sectors than in colonies and villages.
A whopping 60% cases are from six localities – Manimajra (16), Khuda Ali Sher (7), Bapu Dham (8) and Sectors 15, 24 and 38 with 20 cases in all.
MORE SECTORS AFFECTED
Nearly 83% (47) of all 57 sectors now have active cases, even as 40 days ago, only 28% (16) of these areas were reporting new infections.
Sector 45, at 23, has the most cases among all sectors, though it had no case on June 27.
Similarly, among colonies and villages, Dhanas had no case on 40 days ago, but now 29 people are infected in the locality. Mauli Jagran also had no case, but now has 18.
Sectors 1 to 10 in the city’s northern part have the lowest number of active cases at seven. This was even lower 40 days ago when only Sector 9 had one case.
SECTORS: FROM 44 TO 322 CASES IN 40 DAYS
During the 40-day period between June 27 and August 7, the active cases in sectors rose by seven times, while in colonies and villages there was a fourfold rise.
On June 27, the active cases in sectors were 44, which jumped to 322 within 40 days. In villages and cities, there were 42 Covid patients on June 27, but the figure climbed to 178 as of August 7.
Experts say as the restrictions were eased phase wise, the infection was bound to spread due to movement and mixing up of population from different areas. Therefore, strict measures were required.
“Deadlines should be set. Once a person is tested, the reports should be available within 24 hours and the patient should be isolated immediately. The real job starts when the contacts need to be located. On an average, 10 to 15 people, who may have interacted with the patient at home, work or during travel should be identified and tested. The process should be quick and subsequent action swift,” said Dr Rajesh Kumar, former head of the department of community medicine and school of public health, PGIMER.
Once a suspected person is tested, the reports should be available within 24 hours and the patient should be isolated immediately. The real job starts when the contacts of the infected person need to be located. The process should be quick and subsequent action swift.
Dr RAJESH KUMAR, former head, department of community medicine and school of public health, PGIMER