Abstract
Unprecedented and unforeseen highly infectious Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a significant public health concern for most of the countries worldwide, including Nepal, and it is spreading rapidly. Undoubtedly, every nation has taken maximum initiative measures to break the transmission chain of the virus. This review presents a retrospective analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, analyzing the actions taken by the Government of Nepal (GoN) to inform future decisions. Data used in this article were extracted from relevant reports and websites of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) of Nepal and the WHO. As of January 22, 2021, the highest numbers of cases were reported in the megacity of the hilly region, Kathmandu district (population = 1,744,240), and Bagmati province. The cured and death rates of the disease among the tested population are ~98.00 and ~0.74%, respectively. Higher numbers of infected cases were observed in the age group 21–30, with an overall male to female death ratio of 2.33. With suggestions and recommendations from high-level coordination committees and experts, GoN has enacted several measures: promoting universal personal protection, physical distancing, localized lockdowns, travel restrictions, isolation, and selective quarantine. In addition, GoN formulated and distributed several guidelines/protocols for managing COVID-19 patients and vaccination programs. Despite robust preventive efforts by GoN, pandemic scenario in Nepal is, yet, to be controlled completely. This review could be helpful for the current and future effective outbreak preparedness, responses, and management of the pandemic situations and prepare necessary strategies, especially in countries with similar socio-cultural and economic status.
Highlights
The unanticipated outbreak of the novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019; it transmits from human to human via droplets and aerosol [1]
In Nepal, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on January 23, 2020, in a 32year-old Nepalese man who returned from Wuhan, China
This review presents a 1-year scenario of COVID-19 in Nepal, reviews the strategies employed by the Government of Nepal (GoN) to control COVID-19, and provides suggestions for the prevention and control of current and future pandemics
Summary
The unanticipated outbreak of the novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019; it transmits from human to human via droplets and aerosol [1]. In Nepal, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on January 23, 2020, in a 32year-old Nepalese man who returned from Wuhan, China. Provincial, and district-level daily cases of COVID-19 [confirmed by real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), cured, and death] in Nepal from January 23, 2020, to January 22, 2021, were obtained from the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), GoN6. The MoHP of Nepal confirmed the first and second cases of COVID-19, respectively, in January and March, in an interval of 2 months1 [9]. As of January 22, 2021, 268,948 COVID19 positive cases were reported, with 263,546 recovered, and 1,986 death cases6 This data showed nearly 0.74% death and about 98% recovery rate in Nepal. Available online at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/nepaldocuments/novel-coronavirus/who-nepal-sitrep/who-nepal--sitrep-covid-1920apr2020.pdf?sfvrsn=c788bf96_2 (accessed January 15, 2021). Available online at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/nepaldocuments/novel-coronavirus/health-sector-emergency-response-plan-covid19-endorsed-may-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=ef831f44_2 (accessed January 15, 2021)
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