Vaccination status of deceased : More information needed
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 15, 2021 -

A point briefly touched upon in a previous comment in this column, but repeated again now.

Time for the COVID-19 Common Control Room or the Health Department or the publicity machinery of the State Government to detail the vaccination status of the people who have so far passed away after contracting COVID-19 in Manipur.

This could prove to be one of the more important factors to convince the reluctant section of the people to come ahead for their Covid jab if studies conducted by different bodies, such as the Star Health and Allied Insurance is anything to go by.

The Government will need to do more than just urge the people to get their vaccination jabs or drop hints that only those with the vaccination certificates will be allowed to come out on the roads and go about with their daily errands.

As pointed out here on more than one occasion, independent studies conducted by certain media houses have pointed out that demand for oxygen and ICU amongst those who have received the vaccine shots was much lesser.

One such report was also carried prominently in The Sangai Express some time back.

It is studies like the one conducted by the Star Health and Allied Insurance which the Government should capitalise upon and ask its agencies why information such as the vaccination status of all those who have passed away cannot be made to come to the consciousness of the people.

Vaccination, this is the most handy tool at the moment to meet the challenge of the time and this is all that more important now given that the daily death rate is galloping at an alarming rate.

If July 13 saw the second highest number of deaths on a single day with 22 after May 19 when the State had recorded 23 deaths, then July 14 did not see a much improved situation, with Manipur recording 17 deaths.

And when one talks about deaths due to Covid, then this invariably means that the spread of the virus must also be taken into account.

So if July 13 saw the second highest number of deaths on a single day, then July 14, just 24 hours later, saw the highest infection on a single day with 1104 testing positive, which is way higher than the 1032 reported on May 30 and the 1027 recorded on May 29.

From worrisome to frightening to alarming. This is how the situation has turned under the onslaught of the virus. The facts say it all.

It was on April 29 that curtailment on movement of people was imposed and while the restrictions may have come under different terms such as containment, curfew etc, what has not changed is the steady, daily spike in the number of positive cases as well as in the number of deaths.

This is what is worrying for even if after more than 60 days of lockdown or curtailing movement of the people the situation turns worse instead of improving, then there is a missing link somewhere.

Or it could mean that the number of tests conducted was not what the situation demanded. This is where it becomes extremely important for the Government and all concerned to study the daily positivity rate.

The low number of positive cases returned in a day, in some districts, may just be a lie if one takes into account the number of people tested.

Say 15 returning positive out of just 100 people being tested, may appear a low number, but the positivity rate is high standing at 15 percent.

This is where it becomes important for the Government to divulge in details the number of people tested in the districts too, instead of giving an overall figure daily.

This will help all to understand the situation more clearly.