Nepal reports third coronavirus death, 453 infected

KATHMANDU, May 21: The death toll from novel coronavirus has reached three in Nepal after a patient from Madane rural municipality-6 of Gulmi district died on Thursday morning.

The 41-year-old male was admitted to Crimson Hospital based in Tilottama Municipality -6, Manigram, Rupandehi on May 14 and was in the ventilator support for eight days. The Ministry of Health and Population had confirmed his test result as positive on Monday at a provincial lab in Bhairahawa.

“The patient breathed his last today morning,” said Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population Bikas Devkota during a daily press briefing.

A principal at Kanke Deurali Primary School, he was suffering from typhoid, jaundice and kidney disease, according to Dr. Uma Shankar Chaudhari, Chief of Health Division at Ministry of Social Development in Province-5.

Various media had reported that the man had died of the virus on Wednesday. But later, the ministry clarified he was alive but critical. The hospital had also denied the reports.

Earlier, the ministry had confirmed two fatalities from the virus.

A 29-year-old mother from Barabise municipality of Sindhupalchowk district died “on the way” to Dhulikhel hospital on May 16 ten days after giving birth to a baby at TU Teaching Hospital. The post-natal mother is the first casualty of the country and the only confirmed case in the district.

A day later, a 25-year-old male from Narainapur-5, Banke died while in quarantine.

The ministry also confirmed 26 new infections today.

“Eight males (aged 17, 18, 18, 20,20, 23, 52, 55) from Jhapa and a 27-year-old male from Rupendahi have tested for the virus,” said Devkota.

Earlier today, the ministry had confirmed 17 new infections—15 in Jhapa and one each in Sunsari and Dhankuta.

The total cases in Province 1 climbed to 76 today. Jhapa alone has 35 cases.

The virus has now spread to 38 districts infecting 453 people as of May 21, with Province 5 the hotspot with nearly 200 cases. Banke is the worst-affect district in the province with 99 cases and one death, followed by Kapilvastu with 59 cases. Rupendahi is the third most affected district in the province with 29 infections.

Province 2 is the second in the list with 136 confirmed cases, with the virus spreading to all eight districts. Parsa is the worst-affected with 91 cases. Rautahat has reported 22 cases.

Bagmati has reported 26 cases, Sudurpaschim has 5, Gandaki has four and Karnali has one case so far.

A total of 49 patients have recovered.