41 pregnant women die of COVID-19 in Kerala, 149 patients end life: Govt

As many as 41 pregnant women have so far succumbed to COVID-19 in Kerala after the virus infection broke out in the southern state one and half years ago, state Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

The number of the COVID positive persons, who had committed suicide in the state, stood at 149, she told the state Assembly during the question hour.

The minister was replying to a question in this regard raised by Congress legislator T J Vinod.

"As per the figures reported from the districts, 41 pregnant women have succumbed to the disease in the state. Besides, 149 patients affected with the viral infection have committed suicide," George said.

Responding to another query by Mathew Kuzhalnadan (Congress), she said as per the reports, there seems to be no difference in the findings of the recent sero prevalence scientific study conducted by the state health department and the similar surveys by the ICMR.

According to the ICMR study report, the sero positivity rate in Kerala was 0.33 per cent, 0.88 per cent and 11.6 per cent in May, August and December in 2020 respectively and 44.4 per cent in May 2021, the minister noted.

"It has risen to 82.61 per cent when the state conducted the sero prevalence study during the August-September this year."

The increase in the sero positivity rate in the state was expected and it could be attributed to the progress in vaccination and the lifestyle of people, she said adding that it was the reflection of the effective COVID management initiatives of the state government.

The findings of the state study indicated that a larger section of the population in the state have attained the resistance power against the pandemic.

It also pointed out that 17 per cent of the total population was still prone to the disease, George said.

The highest sero prevalence rate, among various categories of people who have received two doses of vaccine, was found among the coastal people-93.3 per cent, the minister added quoting the survey.