Dharamshala: Addressing the 72nd COVID-briefing, Amchi Tsamchoe updated the weekly COVID-status of the exile Tibetan community. 132 Tibetans have reported positive, of which 63 are male and 69 female, the eldest is 95 years old and the youngest is a 1-month-old infant. Tragically, 4 passed away due to complications arising from COVID. Thus the total number of reported cases are 6080, with 5631 recoveries, 144 deaths, and 305 active cases.
The weekly quarantine status is 1253, of which 886 are at home quarantine while 367 are in institutional quarantine as per the data received by the committee.
Thus far, 42,819 units of Sorig immune boosters have been disbursed free of cost. Under the recently launched initiative to strengthen the immunity of children against the third wave of the pandemic, since the past two months, 4,282 of those under 18 have received Sorig immune boosters. Similarly, quarantine residents, Covid-patients and exposed contacts have received the boosters amounting to 18,842 units.
Mental health section provided telecounselling services to 97 COVID-patients this week.
Mass testing has covered 2559 exile Tibetans this week.
The inoculation status in India currently stands at 21,087 Tibetans who are fully vaccinated and 28,689 Tibetans who have received the first dose of the vaccine.
As for the status in Nepal, 2630 Tibetans are fully vaccinated and 836 Tibetans were administered the first jab.
Amchi Tsamchoe explained that the variants of COVID-19 are mostly similar in terms of the flu-like symptoms expressed and preventive measures remain the same. Sorig medicines have proven extremely beneficial in treating the symptoms, especially in post-Covid care and must be consumed as prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner, she said.
Dr Namdol from Tibetan Delek Hospital pointed out that as the pandemic is unlikely to be contained immediately considering the global trend, the general public must get inoculated and strictly adhere to the preventive measures. She informed that the delta and alpha variant spread more rapidly and are more fatal according to the current studies.