Nepal reported two new Covid-19 deaths and 434 new cases in the past 24 hours as the death toll hit 26 and total confirmed cases reached 11,162 on Thursday.
A man from Aandikhola Rural Municipality-1 in Syangja and another from Mahalaxmi Municipality-5 in Lalitpur became the latest Covid-19 victims in Nepal, said Dr Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, during a regular press briefing.
The man from Syangja was admitted to Fewa City Hospital in Pokhara for diabetes and breathing-related difficulties.
According to Gautam, he was transferred to the Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday. He was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit of the institute. He died at 11:35 pm on Wednesday, according to Gautam.
The man from Lalitpur had undergone a kidney transplant five months ago at the Human Organ Transplant Center in Bhaktapur.
According to Gautam, he had visited the center after having pain in the abdominal region. He was admitted to Norvic Hospital after pus formation was detected.
He was transferred to Patan Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. He died at 7 am on Thursday while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit, said Gautam.
Of the 434 new cases, Palpa alone reported 122.
Nepal reported 629 cases on Wednesday. The ministry had confirmed one death and 538 new cases on Tuesday. As many as 535 cases were detected on Monday and 421 new cases and one death on Sunday. While Nepal recorded 331 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the country recorded 426 cases on Friday.
According to the ministry, Rasuwa in Bagmati Province is the only district without a single case so far.
Rautahat has a total of 1,241 cases, the highest for a district, followed by Dailekh with 771 infections while Kapilvastu has 706 Covid-19 patients.
“So far, 199,737 polymerase chain reaction tests and 287,863 rapid diagnostic tests have been carried out across the country,” said Gautam.
With 312 people discharged in the last 24 hours after recovering, the number of total discharged patients has reached 2,650, Gautam said.
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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