Pandemic phase of COVID-19 ending?

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr 16 : For much of the past two years, COVID-19 ruled the world, creating unprecedented challenges to health system. As public health measures, hand washing, wearing masks and maintaining social distance remained part of the new normal. 

On 23 January 2020, the disease was first detected in Nepal. As mitigation measures the country adopted strict restrictions.  During the first wave of the pandemic, the country faced shortage of personal protective equipment including masks and PPE.

The second wave, severer than the first one, began to hit the country in April 2021, leaving many patients in dire need of medical oxygen and hospitalisations. On May 11, the country recorded highest single-day coronavirus-related deaths with 225 fatalities and 9,483 new cases within 24 hours. The fragile health care system was overwhelmed. And 8,000 cases were recorded on average on a daily basis. Again, Nepal faced the emergence of the third wave in January 2022. As the new variant of the virus, Omicron, was making a comeback, on January 20, 2022, Nepal recorded an all-time daily high of over 10,200 cases through RT-PCR tests.  

According to the health experts, the pandemic phase of COVID-19 seems to be ending in Nepal, unless significant and severe new variant emerges. 

If we see the trend in the world, however, COVID-19 may emerge again, but still we may not face the worst case scenario like that of the second wave, said Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku. 

There are possibilities of new variants, muted or hybrid, gripping us anytime, so we need to be alert all the time, added Dr. Pun. 

According to Dr. Chuman Lal Das, director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, though the cases are declining significantly, everyone should remain cautions. 

“Nobody is safe until everyone is safe from the virus,” said Dr. Das and added that as the cases have not been eradicated from the world, no one knows for sure how it is changing its face and will emerge again anywhere and anytime. 

As a precautionary measure, the government is still screening people coming from abroad at the Tribhuwan International Airport, said Dr. Das. 

The pandemic continues to recede for the last one month in Nepal as the cases are reported in two digits or even in a single digit, thanks to the robust vaccination campaign. The government so far has vaccinated 66.3 per cent of its population. 

The government has done a commendable job regarding vaccination, but still many are reluctant to get the jab, said Dr. Pun and added that it was essential to get vaccinated to fight against any variant of the virus.

Dr. Sangita Kausal Mishra, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), requested all to adopt safety health protocols and receive vaccines against COVID-19 to keep the virus at bay.