28 Jan 2022  |   07:56am IST

Jan 27 records 15 deaths, highest single-day count in third wave

54% of patients who died in current wave of COVID-19 pandemic were unvaccinated; DHS appeals to people to get fully vaccinated

Team Herald

PANJIM: Over 54 per cent of the patients who died during the current wave of COVID-19 pandemic were unvaccinated, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) said on Thursday, the day when 15 people succumbed to the deadly virus, the highest single-day death count in the third wave. 

Stressing that the fatalities are occurring among those patients who are immunocompromised and have co-morbidities, State Immunisation Officer Dr Rajendra Borkar appealed to the citizens to get themselves vaccinated at the earliest to prevent complications, hospitalisation and subsequent deaths. 

Borkar said that during the first wave of COVID-19 that hit the State from March 13, 2020 to February, 2021, a total of 795 people died and unfortunately, during this period no vaccination was available. 

In the second wave (March 2021 to December 2021), despite availability of vaccine, 75.25 per cent of the total 2,724 deaths, involved those who had not taken even a single dose of vaccine. 

“In the current wave, that is from December 2021 to January 23, 2022, a total of 91 people have lost their lives of which 49 were unvaccinated,” Borkar said, adding, “On Thursday, 15 died of COVID-19 and of these 10 had not taken even a single dose.”

As per the information, one died at home, while two died within 24 hours of hospitalisation and details of two patients were not available. 

“As per the research, one dose of any vaccine shot gives 50 per cent protection against death while two shots protects you up to 70 per cent. 90 per cent protection once you take the booster shot,” Borkar explained. 

“Goa’s daily data clearly indicates that with vaccination prevent complications, hospitalisation and deaths,” he added, while informing that in the current wave, so far there have been 636 hospital admissions, with lesser requirement of oxygen as against 13,936 in the second wave.

Borkar said that till date, 111 per cent of the population has taken their first shot of vaccine while 98.5 per cent population is fully vaccinated.

With large number of health workers getting infected in the third wave, the response to the booster shot is poor, Borkar said, adding that only 17.3 per cent of the eligible population is inoculated with preventing shot, majority of whom comprises people above 60 years. 

The health officer also raised concern over 20 per cent of children in the age of 15 to 18 years not coming forward to be vaccinated. “The parents of these children are reluctant to give vaccine dose due to misinformation,” Borkar said, adding that the vaccine is very safe and effective.