COVID-19: Nepal ranks fourth among South Asian countries to vaccinate

KATHMANDU: SEPT. 20 -Government figures show that the number of people infected with the coronavirus has been declining in Nepal for some time.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, between 734 and 1,760 new infections have been added daily in the past week. Out of the last seven days, 734 people were found infected on Sunday.

What is the situation like in South Asia?

According to Johns Hopkins University in the United States, India has the highest number of people infected and dying from covid among South Asian countries.

So far, 3,34,48,163 people have been confirmed infected and 444,838 have died of covidosis.

According to the university, in the last 28 days, 9,98,887 people have been infected in India and 10,082 have died from cobwebs.

In India, 14.55 per cent of the total population has been fully vaccinated. In Pakistan, 12,26,008 people have been confirmed infected and 27,246 have died so far.

In the last 28 days, 98,424 people have been infected and 2,243 have died from cobwebs. In Pakistan, 11.07 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

According to Johns Hopkins University, 5,04,491 cases have been confirmed in Sri Lanka so far, and 12,125 people have died of cobwebs.

In the past four weeks, 1,14,491 people have been infected with covid and 4,759 have died. There are statistics that 50.31 per cent of the total population has been fully vaccinated.

A total of 15,42,683 people have been confirmed infected and 27,225 have died in Bangladesh. In the last 28 days, 80,685 people have been infected and 1,924 have died from COVID-19.

In Bangladesh, 8.87 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. A total of 8,73,534 people have been confirmed infected in Nepal and 11,040 have died from COVID-19. According to the university, 37,133 and 531 people have died due to covid in the last 28 days.

It is estimated that 19.44 per cent of the total population in Nepal has been fully vaccinated.

A total of 154,487 people have been confirmed infected in Afghanistan and 7,186 have died from cobwebs. In the past four weeks, 1,976 people have been infected and 116 have died.

In South Asia, Afghanistan has the lowest rate of full vaccination at 1.13 per cent. As of Monday, 83,576 people had been infected and 229 had died in the Maldives. In the last 28 days, 3,630 new infections have been found and six people have died.

There, 62.16 per cent of the total population has been fully vaccinated. Of the South Asian countries, Bhutan has the lowest number of confirmed cases at 2,597, with three deaths from COVID-19.

In the last four years, there have been 12 confirmed cases of infection and zero deaths.

Among the South Asian countries, Bhutan has the highest number of people who have been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine at 62.76 per cent of the total population.

What do experts say about the state of infection?

Although the rate of infection seems to have decreased, the head of the clinical research unit of Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, Dr Sher Bahadur explains again.

“As the virus continues to mutate, the rate of infection also fluctuates. That’s why we still need to keep a close eye on this trend.”

“Infection rates may be lower because of the tendency of some not to get tested if they are not infected,” he added.

In addition, the number of infected people may have decreased after the increase in covid vaccination. Baburam Marasini explains.

What is the expert’s understanding of vaccination?

Statistics from Johns Hopkins University show that Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka are the third most vaccinated South Asian countries in the world.

“It has to be taken positively. The vaccine is also coming in constantly,” said Dr Marasini says again. However, the vaccination program needs to be further expanded. Marasini points out.

“As the government says, it will be challenging to vaccinate 33 per cent of the population by September. For that, more vaccinations have to be given and the ongoing vaccination program has to be expanded.”

Officials say a new vaccination campaign will be launched on Monday to vaccinate about 2.2 million more people. The government says that after the campaign, everyone over the age of 18 will be fully vaccinated in 13 districts.

So far, 6.2 million people have received the first dose and more than 5.5 million have received the full dose, according to the Ministry of Health.

-BBC (Nepali)