Delta variant rampant in state, cautions Dr Rajo
61-75 years most vulnerable age group; high fatality among unvaccinated patients
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 17 2021: Health Services director Dr K Rajo has said that people in the age group of 61 to 75 years are the most vulnerable to Covid-19 infection and maximum of the fatalities occurred in this age group.

He also disclosed that 776 patients succumbed to Covid from April to June and IDSP was able to trace vaccine status of 492 victims with 410 of them not vaccinated.

Addressing a press conference at the office of Medical Directorate, Lamphelpat here on Saturday, Dr Rajo said that almost all the samples sent for genome sequencing returned positive for Delta variant, suggesting that the dominant variant of Covid-19 transmission in the state is Delta, which has already been declared as 'Variant of Concern' by the WHO and the government of India.

He appealed to the public to get full doses of vaccine and adopt Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) considering the high transmissibility of the variant, which has become airborne.

While advising the public to wear masks in home setting to minimise the chance of infection, he also stressed the need for refraining from public gathering of any sorts while stating that carelessness and complacency could worsen the situation.

The government is making its best efforts to reduce the impact and transmission, he said.

Till Friday, the state has recorded a total of 82,688 positive cases out of which 70,305 patients have been discharged and 1350 died.

The total active caseload was 9033 and the recovery rate 87.44 per cent.

Number of patients in home isolation was 3671 and the state has conducted 9,89,283 tests so far.

Positivity rate on Friday was 15.7 per cent, he added.

The government has been taking up various measures including new ones to control the spread of the virus.

The intake capacity of CCCs is being increased and all the CCCs are made functional.

District hospitals are being equipped with ICU and isolation wards, and extra beds are reserved in CHCs and district hospitals for Covid patients.

There are adequate numbers of Covid beds in government and private hospitals combined, he assured.

Rajo further informed that the number of fatalities in the current year is 999 and 61.5 per cent of the victims have co-morbid conditions.

Number of deaths in different age group is two in 0-15 years; 19 in 16-30 years; 155 in 31-45 years; 293 in 46-60 years; 351 in 61-75 years; 157 in 76-90 years; and 22 in 91-105 years.

The month of May this year recorded highest number of fatalities.

Imphal West has highest number of fatalities and Pherzawl has so far recorded no fatality.

On the other hand, 24 people have died due to post Covid complications and 119 deaths have been identified as non-Covid.

As per IDSP analysis, 776 Covid deaths were recorded from April to June, out of which the agency was able to trace vaccine status of 492 victims and 492 of them did not receive their vaccine shots.

Among the vaccinated victims, maximum of them got infected with the virus within 14 days of vaccination before the immune response kicks in.

Since vaccination is the only lasting solution, the government is providing vaccination services at both designated and mobile sites to ensure maximum coverage.

Regarding the main reason for increase in positivity rate, Dr Rajo said that the government started house to house testing and found several cases, which would otherwise remain hidden or unknown.

Increase in positivity rate is related with improvement in testing, he maintained while adding that maximum detection of positive cases will help in controlling the transmission.

The director further said that the government is providing medicines to Covid patients in home isolation and they are being monitored through e-Sanjeevani.

There are reports of hidden positive cases, who carried out self-testing by buying testing kits.

The government is conducting drive against such illegal practices.

Selling testing kits without registration with the government is illegal and the government had already issued relevant order in this regard.

Self-testing at home leads to hidden positive cases, which in turn endanger lives of the patients and other family members, he said while urging the public to refrain from such acts.

People seem to be weary of following the Covid relevant SOP due to long duration of restrictions.

However, it is completely necessary to follow the SOPs and make CAB a part of normal life in order to control the pandemic, Dr Rajo said while urging the public to cooperate with the 10-day total curfew, which will begin from Sunday.

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