The Ministry of Health has announced the death of five males after they contracted coronavirus which now takes the country’s overall coronavirus related deaths to 301.
“This is the 359th national situation report since the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in The Gambia, on the 16th March 2020. Five (5) new COVID-19-related deaths registered, bringing the total to 301 (Crude case-fatality ratio, 3%). The decedents’ age ranges from 44 – 74-year (5 males and 0 females). All had severe COVID-19 pneumonia and admitted in the COVID-19 treatment centres,” the ministry said.
“All of them, had either, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, CVA or Cellulitis as a comorbidity. A total of 31 new cases were registered (cumulative cases, 9,470). The test positivity rate is 9.2% (31/338) of which MRCG tested 20 (6 positive) and NPHL 318 (25 positive) of the total new cases, 23 were males and 8 were females, with a median age of 34 years (Range: 3 – 75 years). Twenty-one (21) cases are currently on oxygen therapy. For reason of testing, 18 (58%) tested for travelling, 2 (6.5%) for suspicion of COVID19, 1 (3%) wanted to know COVID 19 status, 3(4%) 1 (1%) and 10 (32%) for unspecified reasons,” it added.
“Ten (10) cases were newly discharged from treatment centres, while 174 got discharged at least 10 days from the day they tested positive but evaded institutional isolation. No new contacts were traced and monitored. As of 20th August 2021, 132,756 and 4,388 people received their single dose of Johnson and Johnson and 1st dose of Sinopharm vaccines respectively, of the total national target population (≥ 18 years) been vaccinated: 9.3% are fully vaccinated (received two doses of AZ or 1 dose of J&J). 10.5% received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose (AZ or J&J or Sinopharm).”