Source: Department of Health & Family Welfare
• Dimapur and Kohima placed under ‘situational level 2’ category
• Health Dept encourages people to take 3rd booster vaccine dose
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 22
As the COVID-19 caseload in the State begins to grow, data from the State Health Department indicates that there are large numbers of undetected cases in the State. With the rising cases, Dimapur and Kohima have been placed under ‘situational level 2’ category.
582 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Nagaland this past week, with a sample positivity rate of 10.6%.
Dimapur recorded the most number of cases in the State this week with 461, followed by Kohima (96) and Peren (22).
The Nagaland Department of Health and Family Welfare, in its weekly report, however said that “many cases remain unreported from self tests at home.”
67% of the cases this week were in the category of ‘self tests/random tests’ among those reporting with symptoms, testing for the purpose of travelling etc. The Health Department has urged people with symptoms to isolate and get tested.
Meanwhile, 22 new admissions to COVID-19 hospitals were reported in the State over the week, as compared to the 7 admissions in the previous week (an increase of 214%). Dimapur (14) and Kohima (8) recorded all the new admissions this week.
2 COVID-19 deaths were also reported from Dimapur taking the total death tally due to the virus in Nagaland to 689.
Due to the increase in cases, high positivity rate, and an increasing trend in hospitalizations, Dimapur and Kohima have been put under ‘situational level 2.’ The department recommended that all effort must be made to reduce super spreader events.
The department also informed that Dimapur, Kohima and Peren reported more than 10% weekly sample positivity rate. “High sample positivity rate signifies large undetected cases in the population,” the Health Department informed.
It was informed that people in the 19-29 years age group were the most affected by COVID-19 in 2022 so far.
Meanwhile, among the symptomatic cases so far this year, 6% have been classified under the severe category. The severe cases were 23% in 2020 and 27% in 2021.
“However caution must be exercised on interpreting clinical severity as hospitalizations and deaths follow weeks after increase in cases,” the department reminded.
Self testing
The Health Department has encouraged anyone with symptoms like cough, fever, sore throat, loss of smell/taste, breathlessness, body pain etc to get themselves tested.
“Self testing kits are less sensitive than RT-PCR. Anyone who has symptoms and is tested negative on Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) should get tested again through RT-PCR,” it informed. It urged all citizens who have tested positive through self tests to contact the surveillance teams/DTFs. Anyone with symptoms should isolate at home till resolution of symptoms, it advised.
Vaccinations
The department also stated that 14.41 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the State, including 38,461 teenagers between the 15-18 years of age. The Health Department re-affirmed that “vaccines remain the best tool against this pandemic.”
It added that vaccines are working very well against hospitalization and deaths, but effectiveness decreases over time.
Hence, third dose is recommended for those at high risk 60 plus elderly with co-morbidities and healthcare/frontline workers after 9 months of second dose.
