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‘Excellent healthcare efforts behind low mortality numbers’
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Posted on Jan 06 2022
For a jurisdiction that has managed to keep the COVID-19 pandemic at bay for so long, the deaths of 18 individuals who have passed away from COVID-19-related causes is tragic, said medical epidemiologist Dr. Ali Khan, but does not take away from the excellent public health and healthcare efforts that are being implemented here in the CNMI.
Speaking during a virtual media briefing on Monday, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muña also reminded everyone that there are people and loved ones behind the CNMI’s 18 reported COVID-19-related deaths.
“I just want to remind everyone that behind these statistics, they are individuals, they are loved ones. We need to be respectful of that,” said Muña.
Khan said the CNMI’s number of COVID-19-related deaths, which is currently at 18 since March 2020, represent “about one half of 1 percent of all cases.” In terms of COVID-19 mortality rate, he said the CNMI’s is right now at 38 deaths per 100,000 people.
The average age of the CNMI’s COVID-19-related deaths was 65 years old; the youngest of these deaths was 43, and oldest 95.
Of the 15 deaths reported since Oct. 28, Khan said that nine were unvaccinated, five were fully vaccinated, and one was partially vaccinated. None of the 15 received a booster shot.
To put the CNMI’s numbers in context, Khan said the U.S. has thus far reported more than 824,000 COVID-19-related deaths, with deaths comprising 1.5% of all reported cases in the U.S., which Khan said is a three-times higher percentage than what is seen in the CNMI.
The U.S. COVID-19 mortality rate is 250 deaths per 100,000 people, which Khan said is about eight times higher than the CNMI’s rate.
Khan attributed the CNMI’s ability to keep COVID-19-related deaths relatively low to the CNMI’s public health and healthcare efforts.
“I believe this is a reflection of the excellent public health and healthcare efforts underway here in the community. The vaccination rate, for example, is quite excellent [as well as the] focus on public health and social measures,” he said.
