Study on the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 in Theni District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: The population-based studies that target the prevalence measure the extent of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in a particular area over a particular period. In this study, we report the findings of the data regarding SARS-CoV-2 in the Theni District, Tamil Nadu. Methods: The study employed 6,21,140 patients with COVID-19 who were tested at the Government Theni Medical College and hospital from March 2020 to May 2022. The data were also accessed from the state COVID-19 portals. Results: A total of 6,21,140 patients were analyzed during the study. Of these, 42,210 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified and included in the study. Out of the 6,21,140 patients tested with COVID-19, 533 deaths were reported. The findings reported higher death in older age and higher death in males. The severity of COVID-19 was high in cases with comorbidities and in those who were alcoholics and smokers. Conclusions: As most of the populations are susceptible to infection, the strategy for public health needs to be designed for an inevitable increase in transmission. Surveillance studies are crucial as they created awareness of the extent and speed of transmission.