DHANGADI, Dec 19: A shocking picture of COVID19 related deaths has come to the fore in Sudur Paschim Province. Just in the Nepali month of Mangsir (mid Nov to mid Dec), 23 people lost their lives to COVID19 related complications. It is the maximum number of deaths within a month in the province which has seen a total of 70 COVID-19 related deaths so far.
The first novel cornonavirus case surfaced in Sudur Paschim on March 14. In May, a two year old girl died after being infected by the disease. Till Shrawan (mid August), 12 people from the province had died due to the virus. As the pandemic further wreaked havoc, many got added to the list. But in Mangsir 'it crossed the limit', according to doctors.
"Slowly people turned negligent. But look at the rising cases of death. In the month of Mangsir, so many died due to complications," noted Dr Subhesh Kayastha. "If we continue to be negligent about safety measures, the days ahead could be very scary," he added.
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Dr Kayastha urged everyone to take contact tracing and isolation seriously. “Though it may affect many mildly, for some it is life threatening.”
"So we cannot afford to be careless," he said, adding that people with chronic illnesses and basically respiratory problems have been largely affected.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the province’s Social Development Ministry, Narendra Singh Karki stated that the government has been working as per the new guidelines. Only those who show symptoms and who have stayed close with an infected would be eligible for contact tracing, he said.
"One should show symptoms and should have sat close to another infected person without wearing a mask for 15 minutes. Only in such cases, the individual is tested by the government," he said.
Among the 70 deaths reported in the province so far, 47 people breathed their last at hospitals. Just in the first week of the ongoing month of Poush (Dec 16 to 22) four people from the province have already left the world due to COVID19.
