State Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department has once again expressed serious concern that the mortality rate among pregnant women remain very high at 11%.
In its weekly bulletin released on Saturday, the department pointed out that none of the Covid-19 deaths among pregnant women were found to have been vaccinated. Out of 91 confirmed cases among pregnant women in the state, there were 10 Covid-19 deaths with a death rate of 11%. “None of the COVID-19 deaths were vaccinated even by a single dose. Out of 91 confirmed cases among pregnant women, only one has received the first dose,” it said. (See graph-1)
It cautioned that apart from high mortality among pregnant women, Covid-19 adversely affects the outcome of the newborns.
Citing U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the department said: “Pregnant women with symptomatic Covid-9 have a 70% increased risk of death.”
Therefore, H&FW said that vaccination of pregnant women along with observation of Covid-19 appropriate behaviors was highly recommended with the current evidence available.
Meanwhile, during the week (October 2-8) 145 positive cases were reported and three deaths while the overall State’s weekly sample positivity rate stood at 2.1 %.
H&FW further said that Covid-19 deaths were observed overwhelmingly among the unvaccinated as 98% of deaths were not fully vaccinated and 89% have not received a single dose since the second wave.
The department also said that there was slight increase in the weekly new admissions at Covid-19 hospitals. It said that 38 new admissions were reported (Dimapur-15, Kohima, and Phek-8 each, Rest-7).
With festive season approaching, the department cautioned all to minimize large gatherings and observe COVID-19 appropriate behaviors at all times.
State logs 31 fresh cases, 2 deaths: Nagaland on Saturday recorded 31 fresh Covid-19 positive cases while two more patient succumbed to the infection.
Of the fresh cases, 25 alone were from Dimapur, two each in Kohima and Phek and one each in Kiphire and Mokokchnug, taking the total caseload to 31441.
Further, two more patients succumbed to the virus in Dimapur, pushing the death toll to 671 (including 15 non-Covid deaths).