GUWAHATI, April 18 - Twelve COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the State hospitals so far, bringing down the number of active cases in the State to 21. Two were released from MMCH in Guwahati today, while one was released from Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said around 4,400 tests were conducted so far in the State at the rate of 121 tests per million population, and results of 4,199 have been found negative. Thirty four were positive, while the results of the rest are awaited.
The age range of the COVID-19 positive cases in the State is 18-71, and maximum cases were reported in the 50-60 age group. Seventy nine per cent of the positive cases are male and 21 per cent female.
Sharing an interesting analysis, the Health Minister said 80 per cent of the patients did not show any symptom. Twenty per cent of the patients had fever, 11 per cent had cough, while sore throat and abnormal X-ray was found in case of seven per cent of the patients.
Two of the patients released today from MMCH � Md Arshad and Md Rizuan � are resident of Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh. They had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz. Two of their colleagues, also attendees of the Jamaat congregation, have also tested positive and are under treatment at the MMCH.
The released patients will be lodged at the MMCH till inter-State transport resumes.
Claiming that all containment measures are being executed in the five red zone districts (Goalpara, Golaghat, Dhubri, Morigaon and Nalbari), the Health Minister said that from now on both the throat and nasal swab samples will be collected from people for conducting COVID-19 tests.
�The virus enters through the nose and by testing the nasal swab we will be able to detect it at an early stage,� he said.
The direct contacts of the Nizamuddin attendees who tested positive will have to be in quarantine for 28 days, unlike others who will be released after 14 days if they test negative.
Altogether 84,000 people were in home quarantine in the State of which 72,800 have been released.
There were 2,954 people in quarantine facility of which 1,442 have been released. In hospitals, there are 98 people currently in quarantine.
