No fresh COVID-19 fatality in Assam, anganwadi worker dies days after vaccination

Assam reported no death due to COVID-19 on Sunday, even as nine new infections pushed the caseload to 2,17,392, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.

The state's death toll stands at 1,091.

The NHM said 1,347 more COVID-19 patients have died, but the government's Death Audit Board has not included them in the tally of fatalities caused by a coronavirus, as they had other ailments, too.

Assam now has 260 active cases, while 2,14,694patients have so far recovered from the disease.

The NHM said a total of 1,55,054 people have thus far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine across the state, while 11,118 people were administered the second dose.

Meanwhile, an Anganwadi worker, who received the jab on February 8 in neighbouring Lakhimpur district, died due to septicemia and multi-organ failure, but doctors claimed her death is not related to vaccination.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh said Dipa Goutam (36) was also administered other injections in healthcare facilities when she fell ill.

According to a report by the Tezpur Medical College and Hospital (TMCH), where she died on Saturday, Goutam had a fever and started vomiting two-three days after vaccination.

The report said she was admitted to Baptist ChristianHospital on February 18 with ''shock and multi-organ failure and also developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

Goutam then took discharge ''against medical advice'' and got admitted to TMCH on Saturday evening. She died within an hour, it said.

The hospital said she died due to septicemia and multi-organ failure, which had ''no relation with the COVID-19vaccine''.