Nepal’s Covid-19 tally reached 427 on Wednesday after the confirmation of 25 new cases of the coronavirus.
“Samples of 13 individuals from Kapilvastu, six from Banke, five from Dhankuta, and one from Nawalparasi (West) tested positive for the virus on Wednesday,” said Dr Bikas Devkota, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, at a regular press briefing. “All individuals are between three to 48 years.”
Out of 25, 18 are men and seven are women, according to Devkota.
With the authorities expanding testing, more cases are being reported from across the country.
The government has anticipated an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases throughout the country—1,000 within a week and around 2,000 in 10 days.
Banke has so far reported 99 cases, the highest in the country. The number of cases in Parsa district is 91. Fifty-nine cases have been reported in Kapilvastu and 33 in Udayapur, along with 28 cases in Rupandehi.
Rautahat has now reported 22 cases, Jhapa 12 cases while Kathmandu has reported 10. Nine cases have been reported in Dhanusa.
Six cases have now been reported from Dhankuta.
Similarly, Sarlahi has reported five cases while Kailali, Morang, Dang and Bara have reported four cases each, with three cases each from Chitwan, Bhaktapur, Dhading and Mahottari. Baglung, Sunsari, Makwanpur, Bardiya, Nawalparasi (West) and Nawalparasi (East) have reported two cases each.
Similarly, Khotang, Dailekh, Ramechhap, Lalitpur, Sindhuli, Lamjung, Gulmi, Bhojpur, Saptari, Siraha, Kanchanpur, Kavre and Sindhupalchok have reported one Covid-19 case each.
According to the Health Ministry, eight patients from Udayapur were discharged from the isolation facility in Biratnagar, which takes the total number of discharged patients to 45. However, three patients have been readmitted into isolation after they retested positive for the coronavirus.
“So far, 35,494 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests and 75,072 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) have been carried out across the country,” said Devkota. “Out of which, 2,488 PCR tests and 3,610 RDTs were performed in the last 24 hours.”
According to Devkota, 23,202 individuals are currently living in quarantine facilities across the country.
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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