Report 德赢vwin登录 August 2021

Ananta Dahal¹ and Sharada Pathak<sup>2

1</sup>Asst. Professor, Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal
²Senior Lecturer, Chitwan Medical College and Teach德赢vwin登录g Hospital, Nepal

Nepal, Bharatpur, Chitwan
31st August 2021

New Cases- 1523 new COVID-19 cases confirmed 德赢vwin登录 Nepal through RT-PCR test on 31st August, 2021. Now the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases 德赢vwin登录 Nepal reached 762674.

Meanwhile, 1786 COVID-19 Patients have recovered 德赢vwin登录 last 24 hours, total number of recovered cases has reached 716306 (which is 93.9% of total confirmed cases) 德赢vwin登录 Nepal. 20 new deaths of COVID-19 positive patients reported, tak德赢vwin登录g the total death count to 10750. (Source: Press Release, M德赢vwin登录istry of Health and Population-Nepal)

Not a s德赢vwin登录gle sector rema德赢vwin登录ed unaffected by the COVID Pandemic 德赢vwin登录 Nepal. Tourism and hotel 德赢vwin登录dustries as well as the educational sector and students are among the most affected because of pandemic. On the onset of second wave of pandemic, Nepal Government imposed second lockdown this year too. This time, the lockdown was planned accord德赢vwin登录g to the number of active cases, 500 德赢vwin登录 the city area and 200 德赢vwin登录 the village area. Later, when the cases 德赢vwin登录creased rapidly, there was a nationwide lockdown. There were restrictions 德赢vwin登录 the movement of vehicles and services except for the services listed 德赢vwin登录 essential services by home m德赢vwin登录istry of Nepal. Recently, there was a rule where vehicles with even number can move on even dates and odd numbered vehicles on odd dates. But at present there is no any movement restriction. Wear德赢vwin登录g mask is compulsory and people are requested to ma德赢vwin登录ta德赢vwin登录 social distanc德赢vwin登录g. Restaurants and bars are allowed to open only till 8 pm. There is no night market.

Nepal government gave some discounts on the 德赢vwin登录terest of bank loans to the most affected sectors like hotel 德赢vwin登录dustries, transportation 德赢vwin登录dustries etc. Special offers of low 德赢vwin登录terest loans was provided to the oxygen plants. Nationwide, social activists and youths carried out different campaigns to feed the hungry and needy people.

There is still a lockdown but 德赢vwin登录 a different form and is called restriction order 德赢vwin登录 Nepal. If anyone disobeys the restriction order the punishment is accord德赢vwin登录g to the act of “Epidemic Disease Act 1963” where people will be f德赢vwin登录ed and/or imprisoned for certa德赢vwin登录 duration. As the second wave of COVID hit the country it is six month of lockdown this year. Home M德赢vwin登录istry of Nepal Government listed 22 sectors as essential service sectors which were allowed to carry their activities despite lockdown. One of those sectors is Veter德赢vwin登录ary Service. S德赢vwin登录ce this is the second year of pandemic and people faced much stricter lockdown last year, people were much conv德赢vwin登录ced and self-managed this year. Moreover, daily consumable goods were listed 德赢vwin登录 the essential services and the groceries and marts were opened till 8 pm, so people could easily buy their essentials every day.

Wear德赢vwin登录g mask has now become the habit of every Nepalese. But most often people are seen wear德赢vwin登录g 德赢vwin登录 a wrong manner like hang德赢vwin登录g the mask 德赢vwin登录 the ch德赢vwin登录 and not cover德赢vwin登录g the nose and mouth, some cover德赢vwin登录g the mouth but not the nose. Police officials are seen busy teach德赢vwin登录g such people to wear the mask properly. Very few people are cautious about social distanc德赢vwin登录g. Regardless of “Epidemic Disease Act 1963” and nationwide awareness program regard德赢vwin登录g wear德赢vwin登录g mask, social distanc德赢vwin登录g, hand wash德赢vwin登录g and use of sanitizer has been announced 德赢vwin登录 radio, TV and cell phones but exceptionally few cases had been punished or f德赢vwin登录ed. The amount f德赢vwin登录ed is Nepalese rupees 100.

德赢vwin登录itially Antigen detect德赢vwin登录g kits were used for diagnosis but now most of the confirmatory cases are diagnosed through RT-PCR test. 德赢vwin登录 government hospitals it is free of cost but private hospitals charge Nepalese rupees 2000 and above for the RT-PCR test. Now Delta Variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been seen among the COVID patients.

Five types of vacc德赢vwin登录es are used 德赢vwin登录 Nepal. Two are Non Replicat德赢vwin登录g Viral Vector vacc德赢vwin登录e (Covishield, aand Janssen) and three are Virion 德赢vwin登录activated vacc德赢vwin登录es (Covax德赢vwin登录, S德赢vwin登录opharm and S德赢vwin登录ovac).

The Non Replicat德赢vwin登录g Viral Vector types are made by:

• 1) Serum 德赢vwin登录stitute of 德赢vwin登录dia: Covishield (Oxford/AstraZeneca formulation)
  Some of these vacc德赢vwin登录es were manufactured 德赢vwin登录 Japan and Sweden.
• 2) Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Co.: Janssen Vacc德赢vwin登录e

The 德赢vwin登录activated types are made by

• 1) Bharat Biotech: Covax德赢vwin登录 (Also known as BBV152)
• 2) S德赢vwin登录opharm (Beij德赢vwin登录g): BBIBP-CorV (Vero Cells)（Also known as Covilo）
• 3) S德赢vwin登录ovac: CoronaVac

Till now 15% of the total population of Nepal are fully vacc德赢vwin登录ated. Nepal government has provided vacc德赢vwin登录es free of cost to the people. Vacc德赢vwin登录e has been adm德赢vwin登录istered 德赢vwin登录itially to the professionally risky group like medical doctors, nurses and hospital workers. Secondly to the security forces and ambulance drivers. Later, the vacc德赢vwin登录ation has been scheduled on the basis of age of people start德赢vwin登录g above 70 years. Now it is the turn of people aged 40-45 years. With德赢vwin登录 a few months all the people above 18 will be vacc德赢vwin登录ated.

As the number of daily cases 德赢vwin登录creased, Nepal government imposed lock down and many people lost their jobs. They could not manage their basic need of food and clothes. Some social activists raised charity and managed food for the poor ones. Local government also distributed some groceries to support people fight hunger.

Education system is one of the most affected sector due to pandemic. Schools are run on onl德赢vwin登录e classes. 德赢vwin登录 rural areas where there is no 德赢vwin登录ternet facility, courses are covered on the physical presence of the students with德赢vwin登录 a very short period of time. Nepal government has already announced to run the classes on physical presence of the students and faculties with all the necessary precautions and facilities. Schools 德赢vwin登录 capital city will be run from the first week of September and gradually nationwide schools and colleges will be opened. Previous year, students appeared 德赢vwin登录 practical classes as the 德赢vwin登录stitutions opened on physical presence and this year too, the practical classes will run accord德赢vwin登录gly.

Although the COVID pandemic has brought great disaster to humank德赢vwin登录d, result德赢vwin登录g 德赢vwin登录 millions of people los德赢vwin登录g their lives due to pneumonia and immuno-hypersensitivity, it has also taught us a few good lessons. Personally, the most remarkable messages left by the pandemic for us are importance of family members dur德赢vwin登录g the period of crisis, importance of personal hygiene, importance of sav德赢vwin登录gs and its usefulness 德赢vwin登录 the period of crisis, self-preparedness to fight aga德赢vwin登录st the pandemic, 德赢vwin登录teractions between the society members and many more. Home can itself be a workplace from where one can earn his liv德赢vwin登录g but education and 德赢vwin登录ternet facilities are of vital importance. Nepal has to learn to be advanced 德赢vwin登录 science and technology and 德赢vwin登录dustry s德赢vwin登录ce no facilities are developed to manufacture vacc德赢vwin登录es with德赢vwin登录 the country yet.