Nagaland COVID: Detection declines for three weeks straight

Representational Image

• Record high recoveries
• High positivity in Mkg

Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 12

Detection of new COVID-19 cases continued to decline for the third week straight in Nagaland. The state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), in the weekly COVID roundup released on June 12, informed that Nagaland reported a total of 1,079 cases this week (June 5-11). This happened to be the lowest weekly tally since the last week of April. 

Majority of the cases were traced contacts, which accounted for 631 of the weekly tally, followed by 393 detected through self-test/random sampling, 24 travellers, 22 frontline workers and 9 security forces personnel. 

District-wise, Dimapur and Kohima showed a significant decline in new cases, while it increased in Mokokchung. 

As per the data, Mokokchung accounted for the most number of cases this week, reporting 396 new cases. In comparison, Kohima and Dimapur reported 187 and 186 cases, respectively. Tuensang was the only other district with 3-digit figures for the week, reporting 106, while the counts in the rest of the districts were well below 100. 

1950 recoveries: For the second consecutive week, the state reported more recoveries than detection. The total recoveries for the week were 1,950, beating the previous week’s high of 1,379 recoveries. 

Positivity rate: The sample positivity rate for the week was 13 %, the lowest since the last week of April. This was out of 8,398 samples tested. 

However, after Kerala and Goa, Nagaland still maintained the distinction of having the third highest positivity rate among the states and union territories in India for the past 7 days, as per covid19india.org. 

At the district level, there were significant shifts in the detection rate. Mokokchung became the district with the highest positivity rate, increasing to 27 % against the previous week’s 21 %. It was 18 % in Tuensang, 12 % in Kohima, 11 % in Phek and Longleng, 9 % in Wokha and Kiphire, 8 % in Mon and Dimapur, 7 % in Peren and 6 % in Zunheboto. 

Overall, the positivity rate for the state was at 11.3 %. 

As far was sampling/testing rate was concerned, it increased to 95 tests per thousand population during the week from 91 per thousand, previously.  

Fatalities: There were 29 deaths reported across the state during the week, the lowest recorded in the last 5 weeks. 9 were reported from Dimapur, 8 from Kohima, 5 from Mokokchung, 4 from Phek, 2 from Zunheboto and 1 from Mon. 

The state’s Case Fatality Ratio was at 1.84 % against the country’s 1.25 % and the global 2.16 %. 

Late arrivals at the hospitals continued to be a big concern. With 25 deaths confirmed to have occurred under home isolation, the IDSP said, “44% deaths have happened within 2 days of admission in a hospital signifying very late arrival with critical symptoms.”

There were 112 hospital admissions across the state during the week with Dimapur and Mokokchung reporting 52 and 20 admissions, respectively. Only Peren did not report a single hospital admission, while the other districts reported less than 10 admissions. 

Vaccine helps: While anti-vaccine sentiments prevail, the IDSP said that evidence states otherwise. It said, “A study done by CMC, Vellore among health care workers and submitted to Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and research has found very high effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing severe disease. 93.4% of Healthcare workers had received the Covishield Vaccine.”

It added that the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines have reduced ICU admission by 94 % at the Christian Medical College, Vellore.