According to Dr Bikash Devkota, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, samples tested at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences confirmed Covid-19 positive in three men aged 24, 60 and 72 from Bhulke of Triyuga Municipality of Udayapur.
“All three have been sent to isolation,” said Devkota during the regular press briefing. “Contact tracing of the people who came in close contact with them has also started.”
The new patients are from the same community of Udayapur, who were tested positive earlier.
Earlier on, Tuesday 11 people–nine men and two women–of Bhulke of Triyuga Municipality of Udayapur tested positive for Covid-19.
With the new cases, the number of Covid-19 positive cases reached 27 in Udayapur.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday sent a team of experts, including epidemiologists, to Udayapur.
The local administration has sealed the area from where cases have been reported.
Meanwhile, Devkota said two Covid-19 patients, who were receiving treatment, were discharged on Wednesday.
So far, seven Covid-19 patients have been discharged after they recovered.
A 32-year-old man from Dhading, who was admitted to Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku for Covid-19, was discharged after 29 days.
“Due to the ongoing lockdown and lack of public vehicles, the man will go home tomorrow only,” Sagar Rajbhandari, director at the hospital, told the Post.
Likewise, a 40-year-old man was also discharged from Seti Provincial Hospital of Sudurpaschim Province on Wednesday after results of two tests conducted within 24 hours for Covid-19 came out negative. The man spent 19 days in the hospital.
The hospital had discharged a 24-year-old patient on Tuesday. The patient had spent 29 days at the hospital.
Earlier on Sunday, a 22-year-old man who had returned from Mumbai was also discharged from the same hospital. The man had spent 15 days in the hospital.
Nepal’s first Covid-19 patient, a 31-year-old student who had returned from Wuhan China, was discharged back in January.
Doctors involved in the treatment of Covid-19 patients said they have been providing only symptomatic treatment.
Doctors said they were more concerned about the 65-year-old woman from Baglung, given her underlying conditions—high blood pressure and asthma.
“But she recuperated fast,” Dr Sailendra BK Pokhrel, medical superintendent at Dhaulagiri Provincial Hospital in Baglung, told the Post over the phone. “The woman was aged and had a cough and asthma. We also found her to be suffering from high blood pressure.”
Pokhrel said the woman was attended by consultant doctors from the beginning and that counselled her that she would defeat the disease.
“We had also taken help of a psychiatrist for counselling,” said Pokhrel. “Her confidence level was high. I think it played a vital role in her recovery.”
The woman has been advised to stay in home quarantine for next two weeks and her family has been asked to contact the hospital if she feels uncomfortable or develops some symptoms.
Dr Jagadish Joshi of Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi also said that the hospital has been providing only symptomatic treatment to all covid-19 patients.
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.
Arjun Poudel is a health reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before joining the Post, he worked for Sagarmatha Television, Naya Patrika, Republica and The Himalayan Times.
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