Lacunas in the Preparation of Nepal for COVID-19 till the Third Stage of Disease Transmission

Pant, B. D.; Chand, S.; George, S. M.; Up, N.; Khanal, P.; Shastry, S. C.; Sah, S. K.; Pant, R. D.; Bhatta, J.; Moktaan, J. B.; Nepal, S.; Bhandari, R.; Basnet, S.

The novel coronavirus was renamed as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the world health organization, began its spread in December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China. Global bodies and governments weren't prepared to handle the impact of the virus on society. Nepal's landlocked nation encountered its incident confirmed case of COVID-19 during the first week of January, with the primary host being a student with a travel history from its place of inception. The nation is deficient in its health resources. The country mainly focused on the stringent implementation of washing of hands, wearing masks, restricting general movement, and maintaining social distancing in public. The disease transmission reached to the third stage, which began within three months after the confirmation of the first case of COVID-19. The lack of tropical hospitals, laboratory and diagnostic facilities added to the challenges faced by the country. This paper is a comprehensive review of the overall preparation and steps taken by the federal system of Nepal to combat the virus's effects till the third stage of transmission. It concludes with the practical limitations faced by the governing authorities of the nation while implementing these measures.