No respite for Nagaland as COVID second wave runs course

May 16, 2021 39 Views No Comment

• Record single-week high of cases
• Record death toll of 67 this week

Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 16

Nagaland has seen a phenomenal rise in COVID-19 incidence as well as deaths, over a period of 3-4 weeks, overwhelming the state health apparatus. As per the latest data released by the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), a weekly 22 percent rise in new cases and a whopping 272 percent jump in mortality has been observed.

This week’s (May 8-14) tally of cases would further serve to bring into perspective the gravity of the situation.

For the third week in a row, the state recorded yet another single-week high, confirming 1,951 cases, topping the previous week’s tally of 1,604.

The number of cases detected in Dimapur was 1,112, accounting for more than half of the week’s total. Kohima’s share was 586, Mokokchung- 53, Mon- 42, Tuensang- 39, Phek and Kiphire- 25 each, Zunheboto- 24, Peren, Wokha and Longleng- 15 each. These were detected from 8,385 samples.

Detection rate: Despite a high case-count, there was a marked decline in sample positivity over the week. The sample positivity rate for the week was 23 percent, down from the 34 percent of the previous week.

The detection rate in Dimapur and Kohima reduced to 31 percent and 33 percent, respectively, while it decreased to 8 percent in Mon and Mokokchung and from 6 to 5 percent in Tuensang.

Other recently COVID-free districts witnessed a jump with the positivity in Zunheboto rising to 25 percent from 8 percent, from 7 to 11 percent in Longleng, from 4 to 10 percent in Phek, from 9 to 10 percent in Peren, from 3 to 9 percent in Wokha and from 3 to 7 percent in Kiphire.

The positivity rate for the state overall further increased to 10.3 percent.

Additional data inputs from covid19india.org stated that the number of new infections has grown by an average of 1.7 percent every day in Nagaland in the last one week.

Meanwhile, the testing rate increased to 79 per thousand population from 70 per thousand, which would also explain the relative increase in detection.

Record death toll : This week also marked the highest number of deaths recorded in a single week. As per the IDSP, there were 67 deaths this week with Dimapur accounting for 55 or (82 percent). The rest were reported from Kohima (6), Zunheboto (4), Mokokchung (1) and Phek (1).

The recent surge in deaths has brought Nagaland almost at par with the country’s mortality rate. From 0.72 percent the previous week, it increased to 1.02 percent near about the national average of 1.09 percent.

Hospitalisation: A major bulk of the cases, reported during the week, requiring hospitalization was in Dimapur. Out of the 252 hospital admissions during the week, 79 percent or 201 cases were from Dimapur. Dimapur also had more than 60 percent of the active cases in the state.

Kohima saw 19 hospital admissions, while the COVID Hospitals in Mokokchung and Zunheboto admitted 10 each.

The IDSP added that the COVID-19 hospitals are “reserved for those with moderate or severe cases.”

Random sampling: Random sampling, which the IDSP said was ongoing in 10 districts, except Dimapur and Noklak, has also resulted in the detection of 271 cases. Kohima alone accounted for 242 at a positivity rate of 56 percent. Kiphire accounted for 9, Longleng- 7, Wokha- 6, Tuensang- 4, Phek- 2, Peren- 1. The positivity rate from the random sampling from the 6 districts ranged from 1-5 percent.

Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/no-respite-for-nagaland-as-covid-second-wave-runs-course