Covid-19 pandemic in Nepal – The second wave hits with full force!

Unfortunately, our fears have been confirmed in recent weeks: The second Corona wave is hitting Nepal with full force.

As of May 12, 2021, the total number of COVID-19 cases is now 422,349, with 101,634 active cases and 4,252 deaths. In the last 24h alone, there have officially been 9,238 new cases and 168 deaths.

The latest development according to Johns-Hopkins-University.

Since April 29, 2021 a second lockdown has been in place and by now the border to India is being controlled. However, these measures have unfortunately come much too late: India had already had between 350,000 and 400,000 new cases daily for weeks before the government in Kathmandu came up with the idea of no longer allowing free border traffic.

Since many Nepalese work in India and vice versa, this more than a thousand kilometer long border is heavily frequented. At the same time, several well-attended religious festivals and public events had taken place by the end of April, which further contributed to the virus spreading unchecked.

The parallels to India lead us to fear the worst is yet to come. (Source: Our World in Data)

One day after a curfew had been imposed in the most affected regions, the government declared that the number of infections could no longer be handled by the health system…

In 22 of the 77 regions of Nepal there are no free beds left in the hospitals; people have to be treated in corridors and parking lots, and oxygen is scarce. Beds in private hospitals cost about €450 per day (an amount that is absolutely unaffordable for the majority of Nepalese). And still far too little testing is done (and therefore far too little found), as the record positivity rate of more than 45% clearly shows.

Unfortunately, those affected in Nepal this time are much younger than in the first wave (20% are children and adolescents under 18) and the disease is more severe. Also, only about 7% of the population have been at least partially vaccinated so far. Fatally, India, from which most of the vaccines originated, has now stopped deliveries because of their own need. Prime Minister Oli asked the international community for more vaccine doses, also to be able to give the necessary second dose to those who have already received a first Astra Zeneca shot.

Dependence on India is a major problem now that the neighboring country needs all its own medical resources. If aid can no longer get across the border, it can really only be flown in – but because of the crisis, almost all flights have been suspended. Only twice a week a plane from Delhi arrives in Kathmandu, and from there the aid has to be transported to the remote Himalayan villages. As we know from our own experience, not an easy task!

In addition, in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, a large proportion of people are malnourished and have had malaria, dengue fever, cholera, etc., which makes them even more vulnerable to Covid-19. This poverty is directly reflected in their inadequate health care. There are only 1,595 intensive care beds and 480 ventilators available for 30 million people (for comparison, Austria has about 3,000 intensive care beds and ventilators for a population of less than 9 million). In addition, there is an extreme shortage of physicians, only 70 per 100,000 people (in Austria there are 523!!). At the moment, both retired medical personnel and the military are being recruited to somehow manage the situation.

Sources:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/06/asia/nepal-covid-outbreak-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
https://kathmandupost.com/health/2021/04/30/nepal-health-ministry-says-situation-unmanageable-as-hospitals-run-out-beds
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/06/nepal-facing-human-catastrophe-similar-to-india-amid-rampant-covid-surge

How can we help?

Last year, thanks to the state of Vorarlberg, the state of Tyrol, various foundations, associations and many wonderful private donors from Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, we were able to raise almost €100,000 for Corona-Emergency-Aid and help thousands of people all over the country.

Now we are asking for your support again to provide one quarantine station each in 10 different villages/towns located along the Indian border towards Kathmandu – with food and the necessary medical equipment.

For this we need:

1,500 packs of protective masks
150 digital thermometers
250 sets of personal protective equipment (for medical staff and paramedics)
200 oximeters
150 hospital beds including mattress, pillow and blanket
1,500 units of hand washing soap
250 liters of disinfectant
Food to feed the sick

If we raise more money, we can support the quarantine stations for longer than just one month and/or provide food packages to the poorest day laborer families.