COVID-19 recovery rate increases to 59.5% in Nagaland

Nagaland’s COVID-19 case status on August 23. (Morung Photo via DoHFW handout)

Nagaland’s COVID-19 case status on August 23. (Morung Photo via DoHFW handout)

16 new cases, 92 recoveries on Aug 22

Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 22

The COVID-19 recovery rate in Nagaland has improved considerably in with the State reporting more recoveries throughout the week.

As compared to last week’s 36% as per the Nagaland COVID-19 weekly bulletin, the State’s recovery rate has increased to 59.5% as on August 22.

Continuing the trend of daily recoveries exceeding positive cases, Nagaland reported 92 recoveries against 16 new positive cases on Saturday.

According to an update from State Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom, out of the 16 cases, 12 were in Kohima, 2 in Tuensang and 1 each in Wokha and Longleng. Necessary contact tracing has been activated, Pangnyu added.

With this, the State’s tally of active cases was 1453 while total recovery was 2166 as of August 22.

Meanwhile, as per the daily briefing on COVID-19 by Principal Secretary Home, Armed forces continued to account for the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases in the State with 1579 cases till date.

The remaining involved 1,204 returnees, 240 frontline workers and 612 traced contacts.

No change in doubling time 
Test rate rises to 26 per 1000

The doubling time of COVID-19 cases remained unchanged at 14 days as it was the week before, as per the weekly COVID-19 analysis released by the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Department of Health and Family Welfare on August 22. 

Despite this, the state reported only 297 cases during the past week, less than half of the 667 cases reported in the second week of August. The first COVID-19 case in Nagaland was reported on May 25.

It added, “The state has tested 5,126 samples in the past week with a positivity rate of 5.7 %. Sample positivity in the week before was 11.8%.”

In total, the state has tested 54,660 samples so far (RT PCR-32588, TrueNat- 21557, Antigen Test- 515), excluding an additional 2735 retest of positive cases. 

The state maintained a slightly better figure than the country average in terms of testing of samples. “Tests conducted per thousand is slightly higher than the national average at 26 per thousand population,” it said, while adding that the positivity rate was 6.4 percent against the national 8.6 percent. 

As on August 21, bed occupancy rate at the COVID-19 Hospitals stood at 18 percent of the total bed availability, while 47 percent of the total beds at the COVID Care centres were occupied. It added that military, paramilitary and non-COVID centres were not factored in this list. 

Around 6 percent of the total active cases were in home isolation.  Gender-wise, 82 percent of the total confirmed cases were male, it said, while adding, “This includes a large percentage from the military.”

The armed forces continued to lead in terms of case contribution at 43 percent of the state’s total of 3635 cases. Civilian returnees’ contribution reduced to 33 percent from 35 percent, while positive cases among front-line workers increased to 7 percent from 6 percent during the week. Cases detected through contact tracing increased to 17 percent from 13 percent.