COVID-19 death rate in Province-1 higher than national average

ITAHARI: The rate of deaths caused by COVID-19 pandemic in the Province-1 is more than the country’s national average.

According to statistics, the death rate in Province-1 is 0.64 percent. Out of 1,726 COVID-19 patients, 11 died in Province-1 until Friday morning said the statistics recorded by Corona Information Desk of the Province-1 government.

The death rate on the country’s national average is 0.381. Out of 24,957 caseloads of COVID-19 in Nepal, 95 people died till Thursday. The Province’s death rate is almost 1.68 times higher than the national average.

Chief of Public Health Division at the Social Development Ministry in Province-1, Dr. Suresh Mehta, however, said it is not time to draw conclusions.

”The difference between the national average of 0.381 and Province’s 0.64 is not that much different”, said Dr. Mehta over the phone.

The first lot of 12 confirmed cases were detected in the Province at Bhulke of Triyuga Municipality in Udayapur district on April 21.

Province-1 has four functioning Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing facilities- one in Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, two in Biratnagar’s Koshi Hospital and Avian Disease Investigation Laboratory and one at Mechi Hospital of Jhapa. However, throat swab samples are collected at all local levels. Province-1 is carrying daily PCR tests of around 1500, informed Dr. Mehta.