Effects of Corona Virus in Nepal

The coronavirus pandemic has been wreaking havoc on daily lives of people all around the globe and Nepal hasn’t been an exception. As per the analysis of Asian Development Bank, the corona outbreak will cut off 0.13% of the gross domestic product and almost 15,880 people will end up jobless in Nepal. Despite Nepal’s concern to mitigate the effects of the pandemic throughout the country with lockdowns and social distancing, the negative impact of this pandemic has already started to show. Private and public sectors of tourism, aviation, translation, hospitality, industry production, health and education are already starting to suffer drastically.

Tourism sector in Nepal has been hit devastatingly as the visit Nepal 2020 which was supposed to attract 2 million visitors was cancelled due to the corona pandemic. Tourism had been one of the biggest industries contributing 8% to Nepal’s economy as the tourist arrival rate in Nepal used to be as high as 70%. But due to the pandemic, the tourist arrival rate has declined to below 10% as the hospitality and tourism related business sectors remain closed.  Altogether, 20,000 tour and trek guides and porters have lost their livelihood according to the Kathmandu Post. Also, as banks are used to capitalize from their investment in hospitality and aviation, this impact on tourism has affected the banking system as well.

The impact of this pandemic has also been visible in the health sector. It has significantly transformed the working environment in the health sector, resulting in inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment, high-pressure work and, unfavorable and demanding interactions among health workers. As well as, many pharmaceutical chemicals that come from China have decreased in stock. Not only that, but this pandemic crisis has also increased stigmatism and social discrimination among people as some house owners and landlords have evicted nurses, doctors and other medical professionals from their rented apartments fearing the spread of the Corona Virus. Regardless of these situations, many frontline health workers, doctors, nurses, certified caregivers, lab technologists and pharmacists have been giving their best professional services to protect human lives.

Patients who recover from Corona Virus also face avoidance, social discrimination and lack of moral support. They are left alone and isolated by their own families and society who fear the spread of the virus in their home and community. Due to the lockdown and the impact of the Corona Virus people are becoming prone to neuropsychiatric issues such as fear, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, psycho-motor excitement and suicide. The pandemic related restraints, such as social distancing, isolation and home quarantine are taking a toll on the mental wellbeing of people magnifying the feelings of sadness, worry, fear, anger, annoyance, frustration, guilt, helplessness, loneliness and nervousness. Due to the sudden economic recession, unemployment, poverty, social isolation and economic distress, Nepal’s suicide rate has gone through the roof, as there are more suicidal deaths than deaths caused by the Corona Virus. As these risks to mental health rise, some government and non-government agencies have started running several helplines to provide mental health counseling over the phone, doing whatever they can to minimize the negative mental impact of this pandemic.

The pandemic has also imposed multiple restrictions on the sector of education as Nepal closed all the educational institutions, postponing all national level examinations. Since then, students have been studying from home with limited resources and parents have been worried about their children’s education and future, as the schools and colleges are shut down until further notice. Although, schools continue the teaching-learning process through the digital education system, many families who struggle for daily wages can’t afford internet service in Nepal. Not only that, but it has also further burdened the parents with the load of school fees and online internet fees, while most of the parents are struggling with low income or job loss. According to the World Bank, the Corona Virus pandemic has caused more than 1.6 billion children and youth in 161 countries to be out of school.

Just like any other sector, the agriculture sector of Nepal isn’t outside the impact of the Corona Virus pandemic. Agricultural crops, livestock and fisheries have been highly impacted as the processing companies and agricultural markets remain closed.  Also, the food supply chain, including food production and distribution has been widely affected due to the travel restriction that is implemented. This has led to sudden price hike, black marketing, panic buying and shortage of products in the local markets. Since Nepal is an agricultural country, millions of farmers have to gather together to sow food and cash crops with the arrival of the monsoon season and the current lockdown measures like quarantining and social distancing has created turbulence in the agricultural scenario of Nepal.

Not only the Corona Virus but misinformation and inaccurate conception are spreading like wildfire across the nation as well. There has been a rise in fake and unauthorized news portal websites and spamming of social media and other communication platform messaging. Myths and rumors like drinking alcohol, adding hot peppers, ginger and garlic to food and exposing oneself to higher temperatures can kill the Corona Virus have mislead the people creating more confusion. Considering this fact, the government has eliminated a lot of these fake accounts and websites promoting myths and fake news.

These adverse effects of the Corona Virus Pandemic are being felt globally. These challenges and impacts related to the Corona Virus pandemic might last for an indefinite time and the situation is certainly alarming. Normal life has been brought to a standstill and it continues to affect the overall physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing of the Nepalese people. So, it is necessary now more than ever to emphasize and address coping strategies, mental health interventions and awareness using the available resources. Nepal needs to be equipped with adequate health logistics, technologies and skilled manpower to develop its capacity in health financing to foresee future opportunities and challenges that this pandemic might bring.

Ken Subedi

Wordinvent