Agartala: While the number of COVID-19 related deaths is surging, Tripura health department has seen positive results of Tocilizumab (Atizumab) drug on critical patients as their health condition improved significantly, said law minister Ratan Lal Nath.
Speaking with EastMojo, Nath said that six vials of Tocilizumab drug were ordered to be used on trial basis over critical patients, which came positive.
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“The health department is likely to place orders for another 50 vials of Tocilizumab drug which would cost the state government over Rs 30,000 per piece,” Nath said.
The Tocilizumab drug is administered on patients suffering from a cytokine storm, an inflammatory response to an infection that causes the body to release large amounts of proinflammatory proteins called cytokines.
However, following the positive results on the use of Tocilizumab over sickest patients, all the state has started placing its demand which has resulted in delay in delivery.
A Swiss company is manufacturing the Tocilizumab drug for India and following the demands being received from all the states, the company has expedited the manufacturing and delivery of Tocilizumab, an official said.
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Meanwhile, five more including four persons from West Tripura district have succumbed to the virus taking the total number of deaths to 83 with 329 positive cases out of 4301 samples tested on Tuesday.
The COVID-19 media bulletin informed that presently 259 persons are under facility quarantine, while 3,262 are under home quarantine, while 6,574 persons have been discharged.
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So far, a total of 2,49,703 samples have collected, out of which 2,48,668 were tested and 9,539 persons have tested positive for the virus, with 83 deaths and 2,534 active cases so far.
The positivity rate stands at 3.70 percent, test per million at 62,204 while the recovery rate stands at 71.50 percent and mortality rate at 0.90 percent. The number of containment zones stands at 98 as on Tuesday.
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