Unvaccinated people at 10 times risk of COVID-19 death compared to vaccinated

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Aug. 10: Saying that unvaccinated people are at 10 times more risk of facing mortality from COVID-19 than the vaccinated, health officials of MoHp urged denizens to get vaccinated pointing out that it is a lifeguard. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), unvaccinated people are at 10 times more risk of facing mortality from COVID-19 than the vaccinated. In Nepal, 75 per cent of the people who died from coronavirus infection were not vaccinated.

Dr. Samir Kumar Adhikari, MoHP spokesperson, said that the data from World Health Organization (WHO) infers that unvaccinated people are at 10 times more risk of getting hospitalized and facing mortality from COVID-19 compared to the vaccinated.

He said that currently, Nepal is at peak of the fourth wave. The situation will persist for another two or three weeks. This is the crucial time for new infection, hospitalizations and mortality has been high at their peak amid the past three waves in the country.

"The report from MoHP also showed that 75 per cent of the people who died from coronavirus infection amid the fourth wave were not vaccinated. Therefore, to contain the spread of the virus and to reduce mortality, vaccination is crucial. Along with this, maintaining health safety standards is also advised," he said. 

Saying that this peak of COVID-19 will be persistent for about half a month, medical doctors have suggested following health safety standards as well as getting vaccinated.

The report from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that unvaccinated people were five times more likely to get COVID-19 than the vaccinated and 29 times more likely to be hospitalized for their infection.

Dr. Prabhat Adhikari, a public health expert, said that the risk of coronavirus infection has not subsided and the importance of vaccination is utmost. While observing the past three waves, it is observed that COVID-19 is contained by following health safety standards and getting vaccinated. 

The data from Ministry also shows that unvaccinated and chronically ill people are at risk of contracting COVID-19 and facing mortality.

He said, "COVID-19 has spread to all parts of the contrary and there is a lot more new infection rate than recorded in data for many people does not do PCR testing unless getting seriously infected by it. Therefore, there is a need to contain the spread of the virus in the community for chronically ill and elderlies  as they are still at high risk."

The new infection on a daily basis will rise if the testing would be intensified, he added.

Dr. Surendra Chaurasia, chief of the Logistic Management Section under the Department of Health Services (DoHS), said that there is a stock of four lakh PCR testing kits and two lakh antigen testing kits.

Dr. Khageshwor Gelal, chief of the Epidemiology and Outbreak section, said that the PCR testing needs to be intensified to know the actual new cases in the country.