ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the important issues of migrant population in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the unskilled/semi-skilled workers earn subsistence levels of wages, and no social protection is available. Central and state governments and society did not take any concrete measures to address their concerns related to livelihood and health, especially during the nationwide lockdown and phased unlocking period. This qualitative study was conducted to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their lives and livelihood. We also explored the common vulnerabilities that migrants faced across the states and the type of assistance they received from various stakeholders. Health care and health-seeking behaviour during COVID times were other important areas that we focused upon. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, S. Irudaya Rajan;individual chapters, the contributors.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The clinical and epidemiological presentations of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India is still not well explored. We studied the epidemiological and clinical profile and outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care private hospital in Kerala, India. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed data of 476 adult (≥18 years) COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Kerala from September 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe cases and followed till discharge or death. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 with a significance set at P < 0.05. Results: The median age was 57 years (56% men). Mild, moderate, and severe cases accounted for 17%, 65%, and 18%, respectively. Around 75% had at least one comorbidity, and 51% had multiple comorbidities. The most common comorbidities were diabetes (45%), hypertension (44%), dyslipidemia (15%), and cardiac problems (12%). The elevated D-dimer values among patients in different categories were significantly different, with 74% in severe, 46% in moderate, and 19% in mild category patients. Serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, lactic acid dehydrogenase, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio values were significantly higher for severely ill patients. Thirty deaths (67% men) occurred during the study period, with a case fatality rate of 6.3%. Mortality mainly happened in the older age group (80%) and those with multimorbidity (90%). Conclusion: Age and multimorbidity are the major contributing factors for death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Generalization of the findings necessitates well-designed large-scale studies.