Active COVID-19 cases in Nepal exceed 90,000, elderly people severely affected

Kathmandu [Nepal], January 26 (ANI): Nepal's active COVID-19 cases have crossed the mark of 90,000 in less than a month, the Ministry of Health and Population announced on Wednesday.
In a regular media briefing about new cases of Corona Virus recorded in last 24 hours, director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel announced that Nepal's active cases now stand at 90,067.
Out of the active cases, 88,248 are currently in home isolation and 1,819 are in isolation at hospitals. Amongst those admitted at hospitals are elderly people and those with prolonged illness.
"Those admitted at the hospital are elderlies. If we talk about those in ICU, 6 out of 8 are patients above the age of 70. The oldest one is 90. Amongst those in ICU, two patients didn't take the jabs while the remaining were well inoculated. Except for one, rest are on oxygen and are recovering well," Dr Kijan Maharjan, Physician and in-charge of ICU at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in capital Kathmandu told ANI.
As per the Ministry's data, there are a total of 251 patients undergoing treatment at ICU while 48 are on ventilator throughout the nation on Wednesday late afternoon. As per experts, the admission rate has dropped in the third wave in comparison to the earlier waves.
"Upon seeing the situation now, the hospitalization rate stands low in comparison to the number of infections. Those admitted and undergoing treatment don't require high oxygen saturation nor ventilators," Dr. Maharjan added.
Nepal has an infection rate hovering across the 40 percent mark which is fuelled by the Omicron variant of Corona Virus which started from Wuhan of China at end of 2019.
The country in the last 24 hours recorded a total of 8,454 new cases while five people succumbed to the contagion. As many as 11,672 people have died in the country so far. Meanwhile, 4,432 patients have recovered from coronavirus in the last 24 hours. (ANI)