By Sampada A. Khatiwada
Kathmandu, Sept. 13: The COVID-19 caseload has already crossed 50,000 in Nepal, with around 1,000 new cases being confirmed on a daily basis. But the cases of recovery have also been on the rise, of late, and as of Saturday, of the 53,120 total cases of the novel coronavirus in Nepal, a whopping 37,524 patients have already defeated the infection.
On Friday, September 4, Nepal had recorded 1,354 cases of recovery on a single day and the recovery rate was at 58 per cent, which increased to 70.6 per cent on Saturday, September 12, with 852 cases of recovery on a single day.
In a span of eight days from September 4 to 12, over 13,000 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus. The recovery rate, which plummeted to 54 per cent from 76 per cent on August 31, is on the rise again. Likewise, the highest single-day recovery was recorded on Tuesday, September 8 with 2,287 cases.
Himlal Gyawali, an official at the Department of Health Services, Teku, said, "I got my Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test done on August 17, which revealed that I had contracted the novel coronavirus. Initially, I got very panicky and started contemplating about whether or not I would be able to recover."
"I was placed in isolation at Manmohan Hospital for 14 days and with proper medication, food habit, exercise and strong willpower, I was able to recover from the infection within 10 days," added Gyawali, who tested negative in the PCR test done on August 27. "We can easily defeat the virus if we follow all the health and safety measures and remain strong and adopt a healthy lifestyle while in isolation and also in our day-to-day routine."
The rising recovery rate of COVID-19 in Nepal has boosted the confidence in the active patients to recover from the infection quickly.
Narottam Rana, ward chair of Tokha Municipality-7, who is currently in battle against COVID-19, said, "The cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Kathmandu, but we should not overlook the fact that the recovery rate is rising, too."
"While working on the forefront for COVID-19 response in my ward, I contracted the virus one week ago. I suffer from mild fever especially at night," said ward chair Rana, who is currently staying in home isolation. "I am under constant supervision of the health workers and the increasing recovery rate has made me confident that I will defeat the virus very soon."
Rana said that all the virus infected patients should focus on positive news of cases of recovery and should not panic. "I believe my willpower would help in boosting my immunity to overcome the virus. Thus, staying positive while in isolation and consuming positive news and information is important," he added.
Dr. Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, said, "In the close cases of 14 days from August 28 to September 10, only 0.9 per cent of patients succumbed to the infection and remaining 99.1 per cent have either recovered from the infection or are battling against it. "This reveals that the recovery rate is increasing, Dr. Gautam added.
Dr. Rabindra Pandey, a public health specialist, said, "It is a good sign that the recovery rate has surged to 70 per cent within a week. This will definitely boost the confidence of the infected people to fight against the virus." "Similarly, the death rate in Nepal is very low. The novel coronavirus infection is comparatively dangerous for those who are suffering from chronic diseases such as kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, among others," he added. "But it doesn’t mean that people with chronic illness won't recover from the infection."

If chronic illness of any person is being controlled by medication, then it will not be difficult for him/her to defeat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Those suffering from organ failures due to the chronic illness are more likely to succumb to COVID-19, he added.
Dr. Pandey further added that wearing masks was the only option to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic. "If we wear mask properly every time we come in contact with others, the chances of contracting the virus will significantly diminish. A mask that costs Rs. 15 can bring 70 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Nepal, especially Kathmandu, to control."