Political parties largely defying COVID-19 safety protocols can trigger the third wave: Experts

KATHMANDU, October 2: Public Health experts have warned that the trend of defying the COVID-19 protocols at the time when the COVID-19 transmission risk is still high by the political parties can trigger the third wave of COVID-19 in the country. The main opposition party, CPN (UML) , on Friday held its first ever statute convention gathering more than 6,000 representatives from all across the country in the capital. General convention of Nepali Congress (NC) is also underway. Akhil Revolutionary - a student union considered close to the CPN (Maoist Center) - also began its 22th national gathering in the capital on Thursday. Around 2,200 representatives have attended the gathering from all across the country. Political parties are witnessed largely defying COVID-19 safety protocols despite restrictions from the local administrations and the Ministry of Health and Population. Besides, one of the main festivals of Nepal, Dashain, is on our doorsteps which triggers mass movements, gatherings and celebrations. These kinds of gatherings and celebrations can trigger the third wave of COVID-19 in Nepal, fears the former chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr Baburam Marasini. “Many of the representatives attending the Statue Convention of CPN (UML) have travelled far in public vehicles. They are also seen defying COVID-19 protocols. The risk of COVID-19 transmission has not decreased by an inch. So, it is likely that such gatherings can trigger the third wave of COVID-19,” Dr Marasini said. Earlier, the health ministry had warned that Nepal may witness the third wave of COVID-19 after this month. “All the people attending the recent political gatherings must undergo COVID-19 tests in order to prevent further transmission of COVID-19,” Dr Marasini further stated. The government must take strict action against those who are defying COVID-19 safety protocols and not willing to abide by the restrictions placed by the government, said Dr Marasini adding that Nepal is witnessing more than 10 deaths related to COVID-19 daily on average and the number of daily new cases is hovering around 1,500.

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UML’s Gen Secy Pokharel contracts COVID-19

KATHMANDU, Jan 14: Shankar Pokharel, the general secretary of CPN-UML, the main opposition party, has tested positive for COVID-19. Secretary Pokharel has maintained that he was not able to keep himself away from the third wave of COVID-19 that the country is currently battling with. "I will be staying in isolation for the next few days," Pokharel wrote on his Facebook page.

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3rd wave of COVID-19 starts in India's Bihar state

NEW DELHI, Dec. 30: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of India's eastern state of Bihar said the third wave of COVID-19 has already started in the state, local media reported on Wednesday. "The third wave of COVID-19 pandemic has started in the state and all necessary arrangements are being made to save the people from it. The medical staff has made various preparations regarding this," Kumar told media while inaugurating the 96th national conference of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the capital city Patna on Tuesday. Kumar appreciated the role of doctors in saving the lives of people in the last two waves of the pandemic. "The doctors worked tirelessly risking their lives and treated both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients when the first and second waves of pandemic hit the state. They deserve all the appreciations," he said. Kumar said since the third wave of the pandemic has already started in the state, the health department has been busy improving facilities at the hospitals as per guidelines issued by the federal government. Reports said the Bihar government was also keeping an eye on rising cases of the new Omicron variant, and has ordered the closure of all the parks from December 31 to January 2. "It has been also decided that the New Year celebration will not take place in any park here. The decision has been taken to avoid the crowd on New Year," local media quoted a government order as saying. So far, Bihar has not reported any Omicron case. On Wednesday, the health ministry's data showed that 781 cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been reported in the country.

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Australia secures additional COVID-19 treatment doses

The Australian government has increased its supply of a potentially life-saving COVID-19 treatment as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

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Australia reports more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases for third day

Australia has reported more than 2,000 coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day as the country continues to battle the third wave of COVID-19 infections.

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Australia surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 cases amid third wave

Australia has surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as the country continues to battle the third wave of COVID-19 infections.

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Australia reports record new COVID-19 cases amid battle against 3rd wave

Australia has reported another record number of 1,477 new cases on Thursday morning as the country continued to battle the third wave of COVID-19 infections.

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World Insights: Experts warn imminent third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India

NEW DELHI, Sept. 1: With scars of the deadly second wave of COVID-19 still fresh in the minds of Indians, health experts have already warned about a third wave of the pandemic hitting the country in the upcoming months. Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country's leading organization of doctors, warned in July that the third wave of the pandemic was inevitable and imminent, based on the global evidence available and the history of pandemics. IMMINENT THIRD WAVE The Indian government on Tuesday reported 30,941 new cases in the last 24 hours, dropping from around 40,000 in the previous days. Authorities have almost opened up markets and relaxed the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of infection. Educational institutions have also been reopened in most states. Despite the relaxed restrictions, a panel under the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned that the third wave of COVID-19 may hit India between September and October. The panel has recommended that the federal government should step up the inoculation drive significantly to tame the imminent surge in infections. In its report to the Prime Minister's office, the panel has underscored a critical need of paediatric facilities, including doctors, staff, and equipment like ventilators and ambulances, adding that the available infrastructure was "nowhere close" to the requirement if the need arose. "STAGE OF ENDEMICITY" Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently told a news portal that COVID-19 in India may be entering "some kind of stage of endemicity where there is a low or moderate level of transmission going on." "We are not seeing the kinds of exponential growth and peaks that we saw a few months ago," Swaminathan said. The scientist added that while it is possible that a large number of children could get infected in the third wave, they are unlikely to fall seriously ill. She mentioned specifically that there is no need to be panic on this score although it is advisable to be prepared for more infections in children. "We can take from the serosurvey and what we learnt from other countries that while it is possible that children could get infected and transmit, children luckily have very mild illness most of the time and there is a small percentage (of children) that get sick and get inflammatory complications," she said, adding that children's death rate will be "much much less" than the adults. THE WAY OUT A report by a group of experts with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) said if the current vaccination rate of 7.6 percent does not go up, India can witness 600,000 cases per day in the third wave. But if the government's proposal to increase this rate by five times to 10 million doses per day comes to fruition, India will see only 25 percent of the cases seen in the second wave during its third wave peak, it added, saying that vaccination is the only way out. Last week India's federal health minister said that 50 percent of India's eligible population (currently above 18) had received their first jab of the vaccine. The country's drug regulator has also approved Zydus Cadila's vaccine for children above 12, but the drive is yet to begin. PREPARATIONS IN PLACE Vinod Paul, member of the National Institution for Transforming India, recently said that in the upcoming surge of COVID-19, there will be a hospitalization rate of 23 percent. Paul, who is also heading the COVID-19 task force of the federal government, warned that in September, India can witness a staggering 400,000 to 500,000 daily infections and has asked the federal government to prepare 200,000 ICU beds. State governments are taking precautions ahead of the possible third wave to hit India during September and October. In the hardest-hit state of Maharashtra, the local government has decided to appoint 1,200 doctors by Sept. 5, the state's Health Minister Rajesh Tope said. Tope added that the state will increase production of oxygen to 2,000 metric tons per day from 1,200-1,300 metric tons, and will have granted primary health care centers 500 more ambulances by Sept. 30, adding to the existing 500. In Gujarat, authorities have set up 15,000 pediatric oxygen beds. "The need of the hour is to prepare for the third wave if and when it hits the nation," the NIDM report highlighted. "India's second wave of COVID-19 and the challenges posed have been alarming and need strong policy interventions at all levels with immediate, short, and medium- to long-term priorities, in order to be best prepared for the third wave."

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COVID-19 lockdown extended in Australian capital amid battle against 3rd wave

The coronavirus lockdown in the Australian capital has been extended for two weeks as the country continued to battle the third wave of COVID-19 infections.

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Jhapa-based hospitals deal with soaring cases of COVID-19

JHAPA, August 4: Hospitals in Jhapa, the Tarai district in Province 1, have been overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients when experts have warned of an outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic soon. Sixty people are receiving care for COVID-19 at the 75-bed COVID-19 treatment centre stationed at the Mechi Provincial Hospital, according to Hospital's medical superintendent Dr Tanka Barakoti. Only 60 beds in the centre are supported by oxygen supply system and all of them are currently occupied. Additional patients who require oxygen therapy are being referred to other facilities. Likewise, three COVID-19 dedicated ICU beds have been packed. Three ICU beds, out of five, have been allotted for COVID-19 cases. The Birtamod-based B&C Hospital which has managed the highest number of COVID-19 beds across is presently treating 74 COVID-19 patients. Hospital's public relations (PR) officer Pramish Giri said the Hospital has 32 ICU beds for COVID-19 cases and the total beds have remained packed with COVID-19 patients. As he said, the flow of patients has significantly soared in the past one week. ''If the flow continues to rise, we are prepared to add more beds," he said, adding that the hospital would not let arrive the situation for turning away the patients without treatment. The Hospital consumes around 200 oxygen cylinders in a day and 50 are being produced by the Hospital itself. As Giri said, the Hospital has also managed 25 NICU beds and 15 PICU beds as experts predict that children might have higher chance of getting infected during the third wave of the pandemic. All the isolation wards, ICUs and ventilators are occupied at Purnatung Birtacity Hospital in Birtamod. Hospital's administration chief Binod Basnet said a 53-bed isolation, nine-bed ventilator ward and 12-bed ICU has been managed at the hospital. He added that all the beds are occupied and the situation is that new patients have to be treated pitching a tent at the hospital premises. According to him, the hospital is filled with patients as the number of COVID-19 patients coming to the hospital for treatment has increased since a week. The hospital has closed the OPD services for now, giving priority to treatment of coronavirus infected patients. Basnet said 100 oxygen cylinders are required per day. The Beldangi COVID Hospital in Damak is also filled with patients. This hospital operated by Damak Municipality has 30 beds and all beds are occupied, resource person at the hospital Devi Dangal said.

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Kathmandu DAO urges all to adopt health protocols to prevent third wave

The District Administration Office, Kathmandu has urged one and all to strictly follow the health safety measures citing the risk of the third wave of COVID-19.

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