Report 德赢ac米兰vwin October 2021

Dan Omura, Vice-pr德赢ac米兰vwincipal, La Unión School
Lima – PERU

On Monday March 2nd 2020, we started the academic year 德赢ac米兰vwin La Unión School as many other schools 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru [1]. Teachers were excited to meet their new students and the school was full of voices, laughter and joy. On that same day, dur德赢ac米兰vwing lunchtime, some science teachers were talk德赢ac米兰vwing about this new disease that was spread德赢ac米兰vwing from Ch德赢ac米兰vwina. We had been receiv德赢ac米兰vwing news s德赢ac米兰vwince January about it, but it seemed so far away that it would unlikely reach Peru, little did we know at that time that it would not only reach our country but spread to all cont德赢ac米兰vwinents.

The first COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 case was confirmed by Peruvian president, Mr. Mart德赢ac米兰vwin Vizcarra, on a televised address on March 6. It was a 25 years&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;old airl德赢ac米兰vwine employee who returned from vacations 德赢ac米兰vwin Europe. Rapidly, a national preparation plan was presented by the government 德赢ac米兰vwin order to face the risk of this new coronavirus 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru, 德赢ac米兰vwincreas德赢ac米兰vwing the budget of the national health system.

By March 15, president Vizcarra 德赢ac米兰vwinformed the nation that there were now 72 confirmed COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 cases. This national speech changed everyth德赢ac米兰vwing 德赢ac米兰vwin the way we used to live 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru, a national emergency state and a mandatory national quarant德赢ac米兰vwine were declared, clos德赢ac米兰vwing all Peruvian borders and suspend德赢ac米兰vwing most civil rights and forbidd德赢ac米兰vwing all forms of social gather德赢ac米兰vwings.

One of the most shock德赢ac米兰vwing aspects of this national quarant德赢ac米兰vwine was that all ground and air transportation was suspended, caus德赢ac米兰vwing distress 德赢ac米兰vwin many people who got locked down 德赢ac米兰vwin places away from home, even outside of Peru. Another aspect was that ma德赢ac米兰vwin cities attract workers from other areas 德赢ac米兰vwin the country but most of the economically active population 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru has an 德赢ac米兰vwinformal job or is self-employed (at the time of the lockdown it was 67%, by September 2021 this number has grown to 73%) [2] so dur德赢ac米兰vwing the quarant德赢ac米兰vwine they were not able to work. This affected almost 6 million people who lost their jobs [3] and 德赢ac米兰vwin the middle of desperation, people started walk德赢ac米兰vwing hundreds of kilometers leav德赢ac米兰vwing the cities and try德赢ac米兰vwing to return to their hometowns, generat德赢ac米兰vwing an 德赢ac米兰vwinternal humanitarian crisis.

Only essential workers would receive a special pass and just one person per family could go walk德赢ac米兰vwing to buy food. 德赢ac米兰vwin the cities, everyth德赢ac米兰vwing but banks, hospitals, drugstores and supermarkets were closed, but 德赢ac米兰vwin the countryside agriculture, m德赢ac米兰vwin德赢ac米兰vwing and 德赢ac米兰vwindustry almost did not stop. Transportation restrictions also impacted on the distribution and accessibility of certa德赢ac米兰vwin goods such as toilet paper, flour and bread, medic德赢ac米兰vwines, medic德赢ac米兰vwinal alcohol and dis德赢ac米兰vwinfectant cleaners. Evidently there was an 德赢ac米兰vwincrease 德赢ac米兰vwin demand (sometimes irrationally) but distribution improved as cargo transportation got used to new biosafety protocols.

The strict quarant德赢ac米兰vwine lasted for about six months (it varied depend德赢ac米兰vwing on each region), but curfews are still active 德赢ac米兰vwin all the country. The hour of transit restriction depends on the health alert level of each region and those that fail to respect the curfew are taken to the closest police station and receive a f德赢ac米兰vwine. Now we can move freely aga德赢ac米兰vwin 德赢ac米兰vwinside Peru or fly to other countries, but ground borders are still closed.

This pandemic also represents one of the greatest economic crises that Peru has faced 德赢ac米兰vwin recent years. There was a contraction 德赢ac米兰vwin the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 11.1% 德赢ac米兰vwin 2020, accord德赢ac米兰vwing to the National 德赢ac米兰vwinstitute of Statistics and 德赢ac米兰vwinformatics (德赢ac米兰vwinEI) [4], this is the first time 德赢ac米兰vwin more than 20 years that Peru has had negative economic growth. The most affected areas were: Hospitality and Restaurants (&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;50.45%), Transportation, Storage and Messag德赢ac米兰vwing (&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;26.81%), Services (&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19.71%), and Commerce (&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;15.98%). The government established several protective measures giv德赢ac米兰vwing low 德赢ac米兰vwinterest credit to different sectors, specifically big and medium companies. The general fund for this program, called Reactiva Peru, is S/60,000 million Peruvian soles (about $15 million US dollars). Additionally, the government established several aids to low&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;德赢ac米兰vwincome families through several payments between S/600.00 to S/760.00 soles ($150.00 to $190.00 US dollars), reach德赢ac米兰vwing 8.4 million households 德赢ac米兰vwin urban and rural areas. This was the largest f德赢ac米兰vwinancial operation 德赢ac米兰vwin the history of Peru, which directly benefited almost 21 million Peruvians [5].

The economic crisis has also been 德赢ac米兰vwinfluenced by the political unrest that took place 德赢ac米兰vwin the middle of the pandemic, which 德赢ac米兰vwincluded president Martín Vizcarra be德赢ac米兰vwing vacated from office, then Mr. Manuel Mer德赢ac米兰vwino, congress chairman, became national president, but resigned 5 days after. This situation forced a congressional election that ended with Mr. Francisco Sagasti elected as new congress chairman, therefore head of a new temporary government that had to call for national general elections 德赢ac米兰vwin April 2021. 德赢ac米兰vwin this electoral process, with a very significant percentage absenteeism, Mr. Pedro Castillo, was elected as new president of Peru for 5 years and took office last July, 德赢ac米兰vwin the middle of a very restricted and discreet celebration of the bicentennial of 德赢ac米兰vwindependence.

Even though Peru has had very strict quarant德赢ac米兰vwine measures and the 德赢ac米兰vwincrement of the assigned budget to the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Health, we have been one of the most affected countries by COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19. By the end of September 2021, there have been more than 2,130,000 reported cases distributed 德赢ac米兰vwin two long "waves" of about 8 months each (Figure 3). The second wave was most dramatic, especially this March with more than 240,000 cases reported dur德赢ac米兰vwing that month. At the present moment we are 德赢ac米兰vwin a period of low active/new cases with only 3,325 hospitalized COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 patients [6] of which only 25% is 德赢ac米兰vwin need of assisted mechanical ventilation.

Figure 3: Monthly evolution of new COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 cases 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru
Source: Adapted from Sala situacional COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 Peru by the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Health[6]

S德赢ac米兰vwince the beg德赢ac米兰vwinn德赢ac米兰vwing of the pandemic, there have been almost 200,000 deaths, with a general monthly distribution quite similar to those of new cases (Figure 4). Dur德赢ac米兰vwing 2021 most months have had case fatality rates above 10% (Table 1), which is very high compared to other countries and may not correlate to all the restrictive measures that have been imposed: mandatory use of two masks and reduction of attendance capacity 德赢ac米兰vwin all public spaces (restaurants, malls, markets, etc.). All shops must take the temperature of anybody who is com德赢ac米兰vwing 德赢ac米兰vwin, and they need to dis德赢ac米兰vwinfect their shoes and hands. 德赢ac米兰vwin order to use public transportation you also need to wear a transparent face shield (Figure 5).

Figure 4: Monthly evolution of deaths by COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru.
Source: Adapted from Sala situacional COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 Peru by the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Health [6]

Table 1: Monthly evolution of Case Fatality Rate of COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru.
Source: Adapted from Sala situacional COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 Peru by the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Health [6]

The health system 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru has been under strong pressure, at the beg德赢ac米兰vwinn德赢ac米兰vwing of the pandemic there were only 1,052 德赢ac米兰vwintensive care unit (ICU) beds 德赢ac米兰vwin the whole country, this number has been 德赢ac米兰vwincreas德赢ac米兰vwing to reach 2,027 ICU beds and the projection is to reach 3,000 [7]. At the moment only 45% of ICU beds is be德赢ac米兰vwing used, but dur德赢ac米兰vwing the most critical months, there were long wait德赢ac米兰vwing lists of patients 德赢ac米兰vwin all medical facilities. Another crucial aspect was the 德赢ac米兰vwincrease 德赢ac米兰vwin the demand for medic德赢ac米兰vwinal oxygen, which became very difficult to obta德赢ac米兰vwin and a considerable number of hospitals had severe shortages dur德赢ac米兰vwing several months. Private and nonprofit organizations donated oxygen plants to different regions 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru 德赢ac米兰vwin order to satisfy the 德赢ac米兰vwincreas德赢ac米兰vwing demand. 德赢ac米兰vwin an unprecedented situation, the government received 德赢ac米兰vwinternational donations of medic德赢ac米兰vwinal oxygen 德赢ac米兰vwin order to cover the local deficit [8].

德赢ac米兰vwin Peru, COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 can be diagnosed cl德赢ac米兰vwinically but also through laboratory test德赢ac米兰vwing. At the beg德赢ac米兰vwinn德赢ac米兰vwing of the pandemic, serological and antigen tests were more common as the capacity for process德赢ac米兰vwing PCR tests has been 德赢ac米兰vwincreas德赢ac米兰vwing. 德赢ac米兰vwin the public health system these tests are free, but you need to present symptoms 德赢ac米兰vwin order to get tested. If you go to a private cl德赢ac米兰vwinic you can get a PCR test for S/200.00 soles ($50.00 US dollars) or an antigen test for S/120.00 soles ($30.00 US dollars). COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 treatment 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru now follows very closely World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, at the beg德赢ac米兰vwinn德赢ac米兰vwing of the pandemic Ivermect德赢ac米兰vwin was very popular, even sponsored 德赢ac米兰vwin television, but 德赢ac米兰vwin March 2021 it was withdrawn from the national list of drugs to treat COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19.

Genomic surveillance is very limited 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru but 德赢ac米兰vwin December 2020 a new variant of SARS&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;COV&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;2 virus (Lambda, C.37) was reported by Dr. Pablo Tsukayama [9] of Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and by March 2021 it was the most common variant 德赢ac米兰vwin the country. WHO designated it as a variant of 德赢ac米兰vwinterest as it has spread widely throughout South America reach德赢ac米兰vwing more than 40 different countries [10]. But the situation has swiftly changed after the first case of Delta variant was reported 德赢ac米兰vwin June 2021 and based on limited genomic 德赢ac米兰vwinformation it seems to be the predom德赢ac米兰vwinant variant 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru now by the end of September.

On the other hand, the vacc德赢ac米兰vwination program is mov德赢ac米兰vwing fast 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru and it is completely free. At the moment more than 13 million people are fully vacc德赢ac米兰vwinated with two doses, while more than 3 million people already have one dose. The total number of applied doses is little above 30 million. Pfizer&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;BioNTech vacc德赢ac米兰vwines represents 57% of all applied doses, S德赢ac米兰vwinopharm 39% and Oxford/AstraZeneca only reaches 4%. S德赢ac米兰vwince the vacc德赢ac米兰vwination program started 德赢ac米兰vwin April 2021, the number of deaths related to COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 has significantly decreased [11].

Health and economic 德赢ac米兰vwindicators are slowly mov德赢ac米兰vwing back to normal, but there is one particular area that has been neglected dur德赢ac米兰vwing all this time. Education is the most affected area 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru with schools be德赢ac米兰vwing closed s德赢ac米兰vwince March 2020. The M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Education set a national plan to reopen schools 德赢ac米兰vwin 2021, but of all 111,640 schools (public and private ones) only 5,350 have reopened and can have limited activities on campus [12] and accord德赢ac米兰vwing to UNICEF Peru there are around 70,000 schools that could start classes, but have not been authorized by the government.

As a way to cope with closed schools, the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Education launched "Aprendo en Casa", a national radio and television program to support distance learn德赢ac米兰vwing. This program simulates a classroom sett德赢ac米兰vwing but there is no virtual learn德赢ac米兰vwing platform that secures teacher&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;student 德赢ac米兰vwinteraction. Most public teachers rely on social network德赢ac米兰vwing platforms or 德赢ac米兰vwinstant messag德赢ac米兰vwing services 德赢ac米兰vwin order to contact their students, be德赢ac米兰vwing this one of the most serious concerns about how they can foster the learn德赢ac米兰vwing processes of their students. Some public schools have started a solidarity program to help underprivileged students get a monthly 德赢ac米兰vwinternet plan, so they can connect with their peers and teachers. On the other hand, private schools rapidly moved 德赢ac米兰vwinto virtual education us德赢ac米兰vwing different learn德赢ac米兰vwing platforms that allow video conferences between teachers and students as well as virtual classrooms, generat德赢ac米兰vwing a greater gap between private and public school systems.

18 months have passed s德赢ac米兰vwince our students stepped foot 德赢ac米兰vwin La Unión School: hallways are empty, the playground is silent, the build德赢ac米兰vwing may seem desolated, but our community is still vibrant and very supportive, contribut德赢ac米兰vwing and donat德赢ac米兰vwing food for charities and school materials for other learn德赢ac米兰vwing communities. We have taken advantage of virtual education and now we have more contact with foreign 德赢ac米兰vwinstitutions through web德赢ac米兰vwinars, conference calls or virtual meet德赢ac米兰vwings. We have learned to cherish our time together, to value simple th德赢ac米兰vwings 德赢ac米兰vwin life and never to take for granted what we have been given.

La Unión School would like to send its best wishes to all 德赢ac米兰vwinstitutions participat德赢ac米兰vwing 德赢ac米兰vwin the Sakura Science Program, a message of hope, resilience and fraternity.

[1] 德赢ac米兰vwin Peru the school year runs from March to December.

[2] 德赢ac米兰vwinstituto Peruano de Economía (Sept. 06, 2021). Empleo en el Perú: Entre la precariedad y la recuperación. El Comercio, Lima&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;Peru.
https://www.ipe.org.pe/portal/empleo-en-el-peru-entre-la-precariedad-y-la-recuperacion/

[3] 德赢ac米兰vwinstituto Peruano de Economía (2020). Mercado laboral peruano: impacto por COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 y recomendaciones de política. F德赢ac米兰vwinal Report for the 德赢ac米兰vwinternational Labour Organization (ILO). IPE, Lima&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;Peru.
https://www.ipe.org.pe/portal/COVID-19-cual-es-la-situacion-del-mercado-laboral-peruano-en-tiempos-de-pandemia/

[4] 德赢ac米兰vwinEI (2021). Producto Bruto 德赢ac米兰vwinterno Trimestral. 德赢ac米兰vwinforme Técnico No 1 Febrero 2021.
https://www.德赢ac米兰vwinei.gob.pe/media/MenuRecursivo/bolet德赢ac米兰vwines/01-德赢ac米兰vwinforme-tecnico-pbi-iv-trim-2020.pdf

[5] El Peruano (October 10, 2020). 8.4 millones de hogares recibirán Bono Familiar Universal de 760 soles. Diario Oficial El Peruano.
https://elperuano.pe/noticia/105150-84-millones-de-hogares-recibiran-bono-familiar-universal-de-760-soles

[6] 德赢ac米兰vwinformation retrieved from Sala situacional COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 Peru by the M德赢ac米兰vwinistry of Health. https://covid19.m德赢ac米兰vwinsa.gob.pe/sala_situacional.asp

[7] And德赢ac米兰vwina (May 5, 2021). Perú tendrá 3,000 camas UCI en julio para afrontar eventual tercera ola. Agencia Peruana de Noticias, And德赢ac米兰vwina.
https://and德赢ac米兰vwina.pe/agencia/noticia-m德赢ac米兰vwinsa-peru-tendra-3000-camas-uci-julio-para-afrontar-eventual-tercera-ola-844066.aspx

[8] El Peruano (March 11, 2021). Primer lote de oxígeno medic德赢ac米兰vwinal procedente de Chile llegó a Lima, donado por la SNMPE. Diario oficial El Peruano.
https://elperuano.pe/noticia/116825-primer-lote-de-oxigeno-medic德赢ac米兰vwinal-procedente-de-chile-llego-a-lima-donado-por-la-snmpe

[9] Sanjay Mishra (July 15, 2021). La 德赢ac米兰vwinusual variante lambda está propagándose rápidamente por Sudamérica: esto es lo que sabemos. National Geographic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.es/ciencia/2021/07/la-德赢ac米兰vwinusual-variante-lambda-esta-propagandose-rapidamente-por-sudamerica

[10] El Comercio (Aug. 15, 2021). Lambda, la variante que supera a Delta en el Perú y que preocupa a los c德赢ac米兰vwintíficos. El Comercio Perú.
https://elcomercio.pe/tecnologia/ciencias/lambda-la-variante-que-supera-a-delta-en-el-peru-y-que-preocupa-a-los-cientificos-covid-19-noticia/

[11] Revollé, A (2021). Así avanza la vacunación contra la COVID&m德赢ac米兰vwinus;19 en Perú. Diario La República, Lima.
https://data.larepublica.pe/avance-vacunacion-covid-19-peru/

[12] UNICEF (Sept.16, 2021). Las escuelas siguen cerradas para casi 77 millones de estudiantes 18 meses después de la pandemia. Nota de prensa UNICEF.
https://www.unicef.org/peru/comunicados-prensa/las-escuelas-siguen-cerradas-para-casi-77-millones-de-estudiantes-18-meses-pandemia