Weekly data of confirmed cases in Nagaland as of October 9. (Source: IDSP-DoHFW Nagaland )
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 10
The department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW), Nagaland reiterated its concern about the young population spreading COVID-19 to the vulnerable (older) age group. In its weekly Nagaland COVID-19 report/analysis, the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), H&FW, reaffirmed what it has been stating the past few months i.e. majority of the total confirmed cases are young with a median age not surpassing the 30s (presently at 32 years mean).
The contribution of traced contacts to the state total of confirmed cases surpassed that of returnees, touching 26 percent during the past week, up from 23 percent previously.
Returnees contribution to the total went down to 22 percent, frontline workers increased to 6 from 5 percent, while the armed forces (including returnee Nagaland Police personnel) went down to 46 from 48 percent.
The report said, “Among the traced contacts, the most affected age group is 21-40 years at 53%. It has been observed in other countries that infection among the young leads to community transmission and infection of high-risk groups.”
As reported earlier, majority of the traced contacts were government employees, household contacts and students.
Meanwhile, during the past week (October 3-9), Nagaland added 570 confirmed cases to the state tally with a positivity rate of 16 percent, which as per the report, is the highest till date. It was 550 cases in between September 26-October 2.
Out of the 570 cases, 360 were traced contacts “outnumbering security personnel / travelers.”
Fatalities, positivity rate
The youngest to have succumbed has been a 28 year-old and the oldest- an 82 year-old. “The median age among the deaths is 48 years of age which is much younger / lesser than the perceived notion that only the old die,” it added.
Out of the 12 confirmed COVID deaths, 11 cases had co-morbidities, while hypertension and diabetes were said to be the most commonly associated diseases. Dimapur has recorded 10 deaths with Kohima and Mon recording one each.
It reiterated that the positivity rate, at 8.12 percent, has constantly increased in the past few months and added that September recorded almost equal number of cases as August even with fewer testing. The drop in testing rate was attributed to the ICMR revising discharge and testing policy.
The positivity rate of the past week was 16 percent out of 3,668 samples.
Symptomatic cases also increased to 4 percent from 3 percent, previous week. 2 critical cases were on ventilator.
Testing, doubling
The report said, “Testing per thousand is lower than that of the national average but testing rate in Kohima and Dimapur is higher than the national average at 87 and 86 respectively.”
Overall, Nagaland’s tests per thousand population stood at 41.54 against the national 63.69.
Since the last doubling of cases recorded on August 7, the doubling time stretched to 56 days in October. The preexisting doubling time was 14 days.
Meanwhile, there was a decimal shift in the recovery rate, falling to 81.33 percent from 81.69 percent.
Quarantine & violations
It informed that 22,772 quarantine “violation alerts” have been received through digital monitoring (NCOVID App) as reported by PHQ, Kohima.
“Citizens should strictly comply to the quarantine norm of 14 days for everyone’s safety as responsible citizens.”
The total of people put under facility quarantine stood at 24,181, while 28,441 people were placed under home quarantine.
