COVID-19 in Nepal: Not only infection number, but also recovery number is on the rise

KATHMANDU, May 6: Nepal has been witnessing a massive surge in new coronavirus cases as the second wave of the infectious disease started ravaging the Himalayan country since mid-April. 

As of May 5, a total of 359,610 cases were confirmed including 8,659 cases recorded on Wednesday alone. It was the highest number of cases confirmed in the country on a single day since the country reported the first case on January 23, 2020.

The fatality rate in recent weeks is also on the rise, shows the daily updates released by the health ministry. The country saw 58 deaths on Wednesday which took the death tally to 3,475. It accounts for 0.97 percent of the total infections. 

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Amidst the rising fear and widespread gloom, the data also shows that the number of people winning their battles against the viral disease is also slowly but steadily rising. According to the ministry, as many as 1,993 corona patients gained recovery from the disease on Wednesday (May 5). With this, the cumulative recovery tally hit 289,783, and Nepal has maintained a recovery rate of 80.58 percent.

According to public health experts, the number of recoveries would significantly rise in the next one or two weeks as most patients get over the illness in two weeks. Dr Sameer Mani Dixit, talking to Republica, said that the number of recovery today may not be as high as the cases confirmed due to the fact that the number represents the cases confirmed at least two weeks ago. 

While analysing the data based on Dr Dixit’s statement, Nepal reported a total of 2,351 cases on April 21 ( two weeks ago). Nepal’s recovery number on May 5 was 1,993. Similarly, 58 people died of the disease on the same day. 

The government said that a patient is regarded to have got over the virus if s/he does not have symptoms for the disease after 10 days of confirmation. “However, we have to wait at least for two weeks to report full recovery from the disease,” according to Dixit. 

Check the day-wise recovery tally since April 22: