90% of deaths in wave 2 had not received a single dose
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 28
Nagaland reported the lowest COVID-19 caseload detected in a 7-day period since mid-April when the second wave began to ascend. The tally of fresh cases for the week August 21-27 was 359. More than half (241) of the total were detected through random/self tests, 65 traced contacts, 24 frontline workers, 18 travellers and 11 were security personnel.
With 130 new cases, Dimapur accounted for more than a third of the new cases detected during the week, followed by 92 in Kohima and 66 in Mokokchung. The totals in the other districts were below 40.
The sample positivity rate was 2.3 percent, at par with the country-wide ratio of 2.1 percent. It also happened to be the lowest weekly positivity rate reported since the 3 percent recorded during April 10-16. In the first week of May, the weekly sample positivity rate was 34 percent.
As per the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme’s (IDSP) weekly COVID roundup, released on August 28, highest number of samples were from Dimapur and Zunheboto out of the 15,846 results received during the week. It added, “This is the highest number of samples tested in a single week till date.”
A major downward shift in sample positivity, except in Longleng, was observed across the state.
The positivity in Mokokchung was tipped at 6 percent, dropping from 9 percent previously. Kohima witnessed a marked shift, dropping to 5 percent after maintaining a disquieting 10-plus positivity for several weeks since the second wave hit.
In Dimapur and Wokha, it dropped to 2 from 4 percent, while in Longleng, it increased to 2 from 1 percent. In the other districts, it remained unchanged at 1, 2 and 4 percent.
Further, for the second consecutive week, recoveries outnumbered detection. The total recovery for the week was 544— Dimapur reported 194, Kohima- 170, Mokokchung- 86, Zunheboto- 37, Peren- 13, Longleng- 11, Tuensang- 10, Kiphire- 9, Mon- 8 and Wokha- 6. Phek, which reported 14 fresh cases, was the only district that did not report a single recovery.
Fatality and hospitalization: 5 deaths (4 in Dimapur and 1 in Peren) were reported during the week, the lowest fatalities recorded in a week since April-end. The total confirmed COVID deaths, as on August 28, was 600, while 14 others were described as “non-COVID deaths with COVID-19 positivity.”
With 365 deaths reported so far, Dimapur accounted for 60 percent of all COVID fatalities, followed by Kohima- 18 percent and Mokokchung- 8 percent.
55 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals during the week.
Vaccination : The IDSP further informed that 22,415 doses of vaccine were administered during the week, taking the total vaccine coverage to 8,49,664. Out of this, 1,95,166 eligible beneficiaries have received the second dose.
It added, “Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Mon and Longleng have the highest first dose coverage among eligible beneficiaries.”
Reiterating the importance of vaccine, it said that 99 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the second wave (March 2021 till date) were not fully vaccinated and 90 percent had not received even a single dose.
78 percent of cases detected in the second wave were unvaccinated and 14 percent of positive cases had received a single dose.
“The main aim of vaccination is to break the chain between positivity and hospitalization or death. Vaccinated people still must wear a mask, follow hand hygiene and avoid crowded places.”
