July 06, Kathmandu.
The second wave of Covid-19 infection spread in Nepal, with the government claiming that the corona infection had been controlled. The second wave not only taught a lesson to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's self-confidence and the health system guided by his words but also caused great loss of life and property.
Due to the negligence of the state, thousands of citizens became infected, some of whom lost their lives without treatment. The exact number of people who have committed suicide due to mental health problems due to loss of employment/business is not yet known.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the second wave of the epidemic has infected more than 3.5 million people since April 1 and killed about 6,000. The second wave saw a mortality rate of about 1.7 percent.
By the time the second wave is under control, the mortality rate will be around 2 percent. It belongs to Sudip Khadka. Before the start of the second wave, the death toll averaged 1 percent. In the second wave, the death rate has increased by 100 percent. Khadka says, "This is a very frightening situation because most of the deaths were due to lack of treatment."
Why did Nepal face a dire situation when experts warned of a second wave? Where did Nepal go despite having enough time to prepare for the Corona epidemic? Experts are warning that the third wave will come again. If so, what are the essentials for it? It is time to take stock of it.
The main 'factor' that spreads the second wave
On February 24, India released a report analyzing seven days of data showing 10 infected people per one million population, a sign that the epidemic was on the rise. Forty-six days later, on April 11, 10 out of every 1 million people in Nepal were infected.
According to public health experts, the government's negligence and inaction in these 46 days is the main factor causing damage in the second wave. According to him, Nepal should have acted swiftly to prevent the second wave in India. Arrangements should have been made for strict surveillance at the border checkpoints, such as allowing them to come only after testing, and testing at the community level in places where an infection has been seen in the country.
The government did not do that. As the number of daily-identified infected people reached around 5,000, a ban was imposed in districts from the third week of April. "The government's biggest weakness was the sudden ban without preventing the spread of the infection at the community level," said Dr Krishna, a Popular Health scientist interested in studying health statistics. Says the giant steward.
Public Health Before the start of the second wave in the autumn, the state administration and political parties have taken suicidal steps, adding that the damage in the second wave has increased. "The negligence of the state before the second wave is responsible for the huge damage," he said.
Analyzing India's data for a month and a half from April to May 10, there were 50 cases per 1 million population on April 1 and it took 10 days to double that number. Similarly, it took 24 days from 100 to 200. In Nepal, it took five days to go from 50 to 100. It took 7 days from 100 to 200. This shows that the spread of the infection is faster in Nepal than in India.
