– Sharad Sharma

With the confirmation of transmission of coronavirus from an imported infected person to member of the family, the COVID-19 disease has entered into the second phase in the country. This means that more challenges are likely for the prevention and control of the deadly coronavirus pneumonia.

An individual in Dhangadhi of Kailali district was tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday—the 12th day of the ongoing nationwide lockdown. On Saturday alone, three new cases of COVID-19, all from Sudur Paschim State, were confirmed.

Of them, two are India returnees while the third one is the family member of a youth who was already infected in Kailali.

Director of Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital Dr Sagar Rajbhandari said that more challenges are likely with the transfer of COVID-19 from one person to another. Now all foreign returnees and those who came in contact with them should be tested.

“Not only the foreign returnees now the community they are living in also should be screened,” Dr Rajbhandari said.

We should remain more alert since Nepal’s bordering states of India including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have been reporting increasing number of new cases of COVID-19, he added.

He suggested that all people coming home from abroad including India should be kept under quarantines along with their surveillance.

Dr Rajbhandari added that the coming week will show the real picture of COVID-19 infection in Nepal, as sample testing have been initiated in all seven states and new cases have witnessed almost every day.

He was of the view that the ongoing lockdown should be extended and all individuals from the infected people’s community should be tested.

As the government has suspended all the international flights for nearly two weeks now, people have not arrived from foreign countries via air services. The border with neighbouring India too has been sealed momentarily.