Conversion rate of hospitalisation at 4%; 95% under home quarantine – ET HealthWorld

Thiruvananthapuram: While the state capital has slipped into category C with stringent regulations, the hospitalization conversion rate in the district as on Tuesday was 4.04%. Going by the present figures the conversion rate in private hospitals is more than that of government hospitals. While private hospitals recorded a conversion rate of 2.13% as on Tuesday, in government Covid hospitals it was less than 1 % – 0.84%. About 95% of active cases are in home quarantine and the conversion rate in secondary line treatment centres and first line treatment centres are also below 1 % in the district.

Contrary to the second wave, conversion rate with regard to oxygen beds, ICU and ventilators are also below 0.5%. The conversion rate for ventilators is the lowest; 0.07%.

In the Medical College Hospital of around 28 cases in ICU, only five patients in the relatively young age category have developed Covid pneumonia. Remaining persons are elderly people with comorbidities. The health officials taking care of such patients said that they have other serious ailments and Covid has emerged as an added infection.

One probable challenge for the district where conversion rate towards hospitalisation has been very low even after three weeks into the third wave is that elderly people with co-morbidities could fall prey to Omicron variant. “They are a category that has remained immune to the infection in the first two waves. Probability of these people falling sick in the third wave is higher. The next two weeks will be crucial in terms of all-cause mortality. At present our biggest challenge will be to save the lives of this category that we have managed to protect in the first two waves,” a health official said.

The district’s low rate of hospitalization in the first three weeks of the wave despite active cases going above 45,000 is mainly due to the manner in which infection patterns remained in plateau mode in the district for many months post the second wave. “Many people acquired infection either after the second wave or towards the fag end of the second wave. This has resulted in them gaining neutralizing antibodies which could give them an immune cover against serious nature of infections. Also high rates of vaccination could result in hybrid immunity. Having said that, all these present trends should not be mistaken for a sense of calm. The next two weeks will be crucial for the district,” the health official added. The fact that many people are opting for home care and self-testing with the belief that vaccination could give them a protective cover has also eased the burden on hospital infrastructure. Delayed arrivals, brought dead cases, death in transit are possibilities which the health team is keen on averting at any cost at present.

The vacancy percentage of ventilators in private and government hospitals was 64% and 83% respectively. As for ICU, 33 beds out of 68 in the government sector were vacant till Tuesday.