Kerala:Covid claimed lives of 41 pregnant women

In Kerala,  41 pregnant women have so far succumbed to Covid-19  after the virus infection broke out in the state one and half years ago, According to tate Health Minister Veena George 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 on Wedesday. 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. 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.