Nepal on Monday reported 15 Covid-19-related deaths, the highest number of fatalities in a single day so far, to take the national toll to 360. As many as 1,170 new infections were also confirmed in the past 24 hours as the country’s tally reached 55,329.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the active case count stands at 15,393. So far, 39,576 individuals have made successful recoveries—879 of them in the past 24 hours.
Kathmandu Valley recorded 512 new infections. Of them, 440 were confirmed in Kathmandu, 43 in Bhaktapur and 29 in Lalitpur districts. As of Monday, the number of cases in the Valley has reached 12,248. A total of 9,750 cases were detected after the prohibitory orders came into effect on August 19 midnight.
“Ten men and five women died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours,” Dr Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson for the ministry, said during a regular press briefing.
Five of the men—aged 77, 62, 73, 85 and 70—and a woman aged 61 were from Kathmandu. Two men aged 40 and 70 were from Morang. Three men aged 55, 73 and 23 were from Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Ramechhap, respectively. Four women, aged 63, 62, 55 and 47 from Gorkha, Nawalparasi, Parsa and Kapilvastu districts also succumbed to the disease.
The country has seen 37,335 infections and 320 deaths since July 22. There were 17,994 cases and 40 Covid-19-related deaths until July 21, when the government decided to end the nationwide lockdown after four months.
According to the ministry, 118 individuals from Bagmati Province, 111 from Province 2, 53 from Province 5, 39 from Province 1, 24 from Gandaki Province, 10 from Sudurpaschim Province, and five from Karnali Province have died of Covid-19 so far.
As of Monday, the government has carried out 851,405 PCR tests across the country.
“A total of 10,878 PCR tests were performed in the past 24 hours,” said Gautam.
In the past 24 hours, 440 individuals from Kathmandu, 81 from Rupandehi, 70 from Kailali, 54 from Kaski, 46 from Sunsari, 45 from Dang, 43 from Bhaktapur, 39 from Surkhet, 34 from Siraha, 32 from Morang, 31 from Chitwan, 29 from Lalitpur, 24 from Banke, 19 from Okhaldhunga, 18 from Kavrepalanchok, 17 from Tanahun, 14 from Makwanpur, 12 from Bara and 10 from Gorkha tested positive for the coronavirus.
Infections were also recorded in nine people in Parsa, eight each in Dhading and Doti; seven each in Jhapa, Nawalparasi (West), Palpa and Dailekh; six each in Dhanusa and Kapilvastu; five in Achham, and four in Lamjung districts.
Three persons each in Nuwakot, Kanchanpur and Bajhang; two each in Udayapur, Bhojpur, Saptari, Sarlahi, Nawalparasi (East), Baglung, Syangja, Gulmi, Rolpa, Jajarkot and Salyan; and one each in Mahottari, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Argakhanchi, Kalikot and Dadeldhura also tested positive for the virus.
“Seven districts—Morang, Sunsari, Sarlahi, Kathmandu, Chitwan, Bhaktapur and Rupandehi—have more than 500 active cases,” Gautam said. “Seven districts— Solukhumbu, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Dolpa, Mugu and Humla—don’t have any active cases.”
“As of Monday, 179 Covid-19 patients were being treated in intensive care units across the country and 29 patients—26 in Bagmati, and one each in Province 1, Province 5 and Sudurpaschim Province—are on ventilator support.”
Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak
UPDATED as of September 22, 2020
What is Covid-19? Covid-19, short for coronavirus disease, is an illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, short for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
How contagious is Covid-19? Covid-19 can spread easily from person to person, especially in enclosed spaces. The virus can travel through the air in respiratory droplets produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. As the virus can also survive on plastic and steel surfaces for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours, any contact with such surfaces can also spread the virus. Symptoms take between two to 14 days to appear, during which time the carrier is believed to be contagious.
Where did the virus come from? The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late December. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that is responsible for everything from the common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). After an initial outbreak in Wuhan that spread across Hubei province, eventually infecting over 80,000 and killing more than 3,000, new infection rates in mainland China have dropped. However, the disease has since spread across the world at an alarming rate.
What is the current status of Covid-19?
The World Health Organisation has called the ongoing outbreak a “pandemic” and urged countries across the world to take precautionary measures. Covid-19 has spread to 213 countries and territoriesaround the world and infected more than 31,405,983 people with 967,505 deaths and 22,990,260 recoveries. In South Asia, India has reported the highest number of infections at 5,557,573 with 88,943 deaths. While Pakistan has reported 306,304 confirmed cases with 6,420 deaths. Nepal has so far reported 65,276 cases with 427 deaths.
How dangerous is the disease?
The mortality rate for Covid-19 is estimated to be 3.6 percent, but new studies have put the rate slightly higher at 5.7 percent. Although Covid-19 is not too dangerous to young healthy people, older individuals and those with immune-compromised systems are at greater risk of death. People with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, or those who’ve recently undergone serious medical procedures, are also at risk.
How do I keep myself safe? The WHO advises that the most important thing you can do is wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol content. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands. Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces like your computers and phones. Avoid large crowds of people. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist for longer than a few days.
Is it time to panic?
No. The government has imposed a lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. There is no need to begin stockpiling food, cooking gas or hand sanitizers. However, it is always prudent to take sensible precautions like the ones identified above.
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