COVID-19 | Mourning Monday in Mumbai; 15 more dead

Second-highest death toll in single day takes total to 219; 79% deaths in State reported from Mumbai; 118 patients discharged

Making room: Municipal workers arrange beds at the NESCO exhibition centre at Goregaon, which has been converted into a temporary quarantine centre.

With 15 new fatalities, Mumbai recorded the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day on Monday. The city’s death toll has now touched 219. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also recorded 369 new cases, pushing its tally to 5,776.

The number of deaths has doubled in a span of two weeks. The highest single-day death toll of 16 was recorded on April 12. According to BMC officials, the latest victims consist of eight men and seven women. Of them, 10 had co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Three were below 40 years, eight were in the 40 to 60 age group, and four were above 60 years.

Fatality rate now 3.7%

The city’s case fatality rate now stands at 3.7%, which is less than the State’s 4.2%. However, nearly 79% of the deaths in the State have been reported from Mumbai. A State-appointed expert committee has been tasked with further reducing the city’s mortality rate.

G South ward, which covers Worli, continues to record the highest number of cases, with the tally now crossing 600. It is followed by E ward, which covers Agripada. On Monday, 118 patients were discharged, taking the total number of recovered patients to 1,015.

Patient still critical

Meanwhile, doctors at Lilavati Hospital in Bandra are closely monitoring a 53-year-old man, who is the first COVID-19 patient in the State to undergo plasma therapy. While he continues to be critical and on ventilator support, doctors said his health has not deteriorated further.

“It is too soon to say anything,” said Dr. Jalil Parkar, who is treating the patient. On Saturday, he was administered with plasma donated by a recovered patient who underwent treatment at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital. The process of donation was carried out at the civic-run Nair hospital, which is the nodal centre for the trial on plasma therapy.

The plasma of a recovered patient is said to be rich in antibodies and might be beneficial in treating new patients. While patients for the trial are being chosen from Kasturba and Nair hospitals, an exception was made for the patient at Lilavati Hospital on compassionate grounds. Four more plasma donors have also been identified in the city.