Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, July 10 (EMN): Declining trend in weekly Covid-19 cases continues in Nagaland as 405 infections were detected in the last week ending July 9, compared to 623 cases reported in the preceding week, while nine deaths were registered during the same period against 17 casualties in the precious week.
The department of Health and Family Welfare’s weekly bulletin updated that out of the 405 confirmed cases last week, 196 detected through self-test and random test, 143 via traced contacts, 39 frontline workers, 16 travellers, and 11 security personnel.
All the districts showed downward trend in new cases except Wokha, Mon and Longleng.
The state’s weekly sample positivity rate has gone down to 6% from earlier 7% but Kohima, Mokokchung and Wokha reported weekly positivity rate of more than 10%, informed the update.
The Health department stated that 243 children below five years were tested positive in 2021 compared to 171 in 2020 but no deaths of children below five years have been reported till now in the state.
It went on to inform that 2519 out of 25,787 cases (10%) are classified as symptomatic till date and 90% did not have any symptoms.
“The most common presenting Symptom among confirmed cases is fever (68%), cough (47%), followed by difficulty in breathing, loss of smell, bodyache etc. Anyone with such symptoms should be immediately isolated and tested,” read the bulletin.
“In 2021, 139 out of 421 deaths (33%) died within one day of admission in Covid-19 hospitals signifying very late arrival to hospitals with too advanced symptoms,” it stated, adding that “30 deaths were reported from home isolation in the second wave”.
Low testing rate concern
The Health department stressed on the need to scale up testing for Covid in order to help avoid deaths and lockdowns in the state.
“Nagaland has one of the lowest testing rates in the country mainly attributed to reluctance in naming contacts by a positive case and symptomatic people not coming forward for testing. Stigma around Covid-19 has been detrimental to the whole process,” read the update.
“We are in the middle of a pandemic and anyone with fever, cold, cough etc. should be treated as Covid-19 positive unless tested and proven otherwise,” it added.
The department warned that avoiding testing could lead to the following:
- The virus will continue to circulate in the community and cause surge or deaths when the right conditions are met.
- We will continue to have lockdowns and face economic hardships.
- You could be the link in the transmission leading to cases and deaths.
- New variants will come up and circulate undetected.
“Knowing your Covid-19 status is extremely critical to monitor your health and symptoms as ‘timing’ of medical interventions is the difference between life and death in Covid-19 management. Even in children, more serious complications like MIS-C can be diagnosed and managed more effectively if Covid-19 status of the child is known,” said the update.
The update went on to inform that Covid-19 vaccines were found to be highly effective against Covid-19 deaths among Police personnel in Tamil Nadu. It said “a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research showed that two doses of Covid-19 vaccines were effective in preventing Covid-19 deaths by 95% and a single dose by 82% among police personnel in Tamil Nadu during the second wave”.
Meanwhile, a total of 69,957 vaccine doses were administered last week, which is the highest number of doses administered in a single week till date. The cumulative vaccine doses administered in the state has increased to 5,96,947 (5.96 lakh).