Nima Wangdi

The current outbreak of Covid-19 has been by far the most difficult to contain and potent.

According to the health ministry’s data on the Covid-19 pandemic, the current outbreak, BA.2 of the Omicron strain has infected the most number of people compared to all the three previous outbreaks. It also has claimed the maximum number of lives so far.

The data that the health ministry show 8,337 people are already infected with this Omicron variant (BA.2) during this current outbreak as of Feb 25. The number of infections could increase given the outbreak is still on.

Of all the infected people, three people succumbed to the virus of the six total deaths to date. Ministry’s data showed that they all had underlying medical conditions. The first death, 34-year-old and the third death, 47-year-old women were chronic kidney disease patients.

The data showed that the second death, 44 years old woman was a cancer patient. They had received vaccines from the second dose to the booster shot. “The current outbreak occurred since January 7, this year following which a lockdown and a partial lockdown were imposed.”

Phuentsholing in Chukha, Nganglam in Pemagatshel, Samtse, Samdrupjongkhar, Wangdi, Sarpang, Tsirang, Thimphu and Punakha are identified as red zones while Dagana is yellow according to the data. “It has affected 11 dzongkhags in total.”

During the third outbreak with Delta variant, 1,348 were infected killing two. Of the two deaths, 82-year-old woman was diabetic and had received the first dose. The second deceased, 67 years old woman was suffering from a Cardiac condition and was non-vaccinated.

The third outbreak started on April 17 and lasted until August 30, 2021 as the ministry’s data explained. Phuntsholing in Chukha, Nganglam in Pemagatshel, Samtse and Tashigang were identified red zones. Thimphu and Wangdi were yellow of the seven affected dzongkhags.

‘The second outbreak, Alpha variant started from December 20 and lasted till January 31, 2021. A total of 395 people were infected and one killed. The country’s first death with Covid-19 was 43 years old man who was an alcohol liver disease,” The data showed.

Thimphu and Paro were marked as red zones while Bumthang, Dagana, Haa, Trongsa, and Wangdi were identified as yellow.

According to the data, it was also the Alpha variant during the first outbreak. It started from August 11 till October 31, 2020 infecting 145 people.

Phuntsholing in Chukha and Sarpang were red zones. Haa, Paro, Thimphu and Samdrupjongkhar were yellow and there was no death reported during this outbreak according to the data.

Who were infected?

Since the first case of Covid-19 infection in the country on March 5, 2020, more than 12,000 people have been infected with the virus so far, according to the report.

This includes 892 children below 12 years old and 774 in the age of 12-18. The data showed that 6,446 were between the age of 19 and 65 years. Some 227 were above 65 years old.

There are three patients critically sick at the moment.

The overall total positive cases detected in the last 24 hours were 508. Phuentsholing reported the maximum number of community cases with 14 cases.

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