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

Kathmandu - (Birat Anupam) The rate of deaths caused by COVID-19 pandemic in the State-1 is more than the country's national average. According to statistics compiled by RSS, death rate in State-1 is 0.64 percent. Out of 1,726 COVID-19 patients, 11 died in State-1 until Friday morning, said the statistics recorded by Corona Information Desk of the State-1 government. The death rate on country's national average is 0.381. Out of 24,957 caseloads of COVID-19 in Nepal, 95 people died till Thursday.

The State death rate is almost 1.68 times higher than the national average. Chief of Public Health Division at the Social Development Ministry in State-1, Dr Suresh Mehta, however, said it is not time to draw conclusion. ''The difference between national average of 0.381 and State's 0.64 is not that much different'', said Dr. Mehta over phone.

The first lot of 12 confirmed cases was detected in the State at Bhulke of Triyuga Municipality in Udayapur district on April 21. State-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. State-1 is carrying daily PCR tests of around 1500, informed Dr. Mehta.