No backlog Covid deaths reported in Bengaluru for first time in 164 days

For the first time since the start of the second wave, no new deaths or backlog deaths to Covid-19 were reported from Bengaluru Urban district in the state’s official Covid-19 bulletin on Monday.

However, by tabulating deaths on the day they happened, DH has found that the city has already recorded several zero-death days.

Strikingly, the state Covid-19 bulletin has not declared any deaths in the city since August 20.

This is contradicted by the war room operated by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which states that a total of four fatalities had happened over the course of August 20, 21 and 22.

BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) D Randeep confirmed that no fatalities had been officially recorded on Monday. “A call to all hospitals in the city has verified that there have been no Covid-19 deaths, but ideally we wait for 72 hours to make this determination as there could sometimes be a backlog death that is subsequently reported,” he said.

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The special commissioner expressed his belief that the declining numbers reflect the situation between December 2020 and March 2021 when the number of new cases and deaths saw similar declines.

He attributed the dwindling fatality rate to several reasons. “General clinical management has improved, yes, but physical triaging has ensured that we get people who require medical care into hospitals,” Randeep explained.

“Another factor is vaccination. In the last seven days, for example, of the people in our critical care beds, there is not one patient who has had two doses of a vaccine,” Randeep said.

Of the 37 patients in ICU care on Monday, the BBMP said somewhere late arrivals and the condition of others have deteriorated due to comorbidities or other factors.

No room for complacency: Expert

Noted epidemiologist Dr Giridhar Babu described the development as "heartening", even if it is seen for only one day.

"However, this is no time or room for complacency as countries which had controlled mortality earlier are currently dealing with newer waves with fatalities," he said.

The last time the state Covid-19 bulletin showed zero deaths was on March 13, 2021 — a day after the second wave began. Five deaths were subsequently revealed as having happened on that day.