Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) outbreak, first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province has affected people of 216 countries with total number of 59,39, 234 confirmed cases and 3,67,255 deaths globally till May 31st (WHO).
The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis: be it in the economic, social, political sectors, the negative impacts of COVID-19 are rippling through every facet of society. Social distancing, self-isolation, travel restrictions, closed schools, limited time for opening stores leading to panic-buying and stockpiling of food products etc., this pandemic has sparked fears of an impending long term crisis.
COVID-19 has plunged the world economy into a recession with the potential of deep consequences and historical levels of unemployment and deprivation. Necessary measures to contain the spread of the disease through quarantines, travel restrictions and lockdown of cities have resulted in a significant reduction in demand and supply. Economic activities in transportation, retail trade, leisure, hospitality and recreation have been battered (United Nations, 2020).
With no particular medicine available for treatment, the Nepal government imposed the lockdown, which seemed the only way to break the chain of COVID-19 crisis, and assumed that all its citizens will survive the lockdown irrespective of their access to resources. In context of developing country like Nepal, the disruptions imposed by the pandemic and the measures adopted to contain the virus has dramatically impacted every facets of the citizens lives.
Quarantine base life
With the ongoing pandemic, people who have returned home, those having flu like symptoms, and those in contact with or near to COVID-19 patients are in quarantine. With the increase in the number of patients, quarantine built by Nepal government is full of suspected patients. When we look at the news regarding people kept in Quarantine build by Government, we can see many people kept in group in a place without maintaining the physical distance of 1 meter and with no proper shelter or food facility. With no proper facility available in most of the quarantine, those people are more vulnerable to being infected with COVID-19 and some other forms of physical illness as well.
Muddled scenario
Though Government announced that people with health or family emergency and people who had to buy groceries could go out to fulfill their necessities but with the scenario of a man who was out to get blood for his wife being striped by the police, people who were back from bringing medications being punished, police atrocities against journalists and health professionals, individuals found venturing out made to stand on the road for hours to teach them a lesson, has confused many of the people. Are people supposed to go out to fulfill their daily necessities or are supposed to stay inside home without food to eat or medications to take care of their health?
Stressful livelihood
During periods of crisis, people who usually bear the brunt are the daily wagers and farmers. They must fend for themselves, with little or no help from the government. Working on the daily basis is what keeps daily wagers family fed but due to lockdown daily wage earners don’t have any means to work and hence have been hit worst and are running out of money and food items. They don’t have any savings with which they can feed their family.
Farmers too have felt the impacts of the lockdown. With no proper place for marketing, vegetables worth crores are rotting. Agricultural products being only the source of income for the farmers, this lockdown has led to decline of income source for the farmers. All the money invested in the agriculture with the hope of gaining profit have just been in vain which has increased more stress in the lives of farmers.
Life has become difficult and stressful also for those who have been staying in rented rooms either for study, work or other purposes. They neither can go home due to travel restrictions nor are able to pay the rent.
Long trudge
Thousands of workers who depend on daily wages, whose income has dried up are left with no option but to walk for days to reach home. Stories of children, women and physically challenged people walking home hundreds of kilometers are pouring in from across the country. Amidst the fear of being infected with Corona Virus, some people have even been brave enough to walk 400-500 km on foot to their home situated in Far-West Nepal from Kathmandu as they did not have other options. According to a media report, a group of 17 laborers walked from Kathmandu to Rajapur, Bardiya in Western Nepal, covering a distance of 575 kilometers, it took them a week to reach home. Sick people and marginalized communities have been stranded on way to their home.
Relief package distribution
Lockdown has put many lives at risk, especially the lives of population who earn on a daily basis to live a hand-to-mouth existence. The introduction of relief packages for the poor showed that the government was willing to help and look after them. There were news regarding people who were financially strong obtaining the relief packages but most of those people who are in real need of relief are still awaiting packages. With no work and the relief package not reaching the intended population, the lockdown has contributed in making their life a living hell and amidst that, it is shocking revelation that people will take any given chance to benefit themselves even at the cost of other people’s lives.
Crimes on the rise
Despite the troubles people are facing during the lockdown period, several sections have tried to profit from this tragedy. The news regarding concerned government officials distributing rotten rice/lentils to people affected by the lockdown, News regarding black-marketing of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), infrared thermometers, People resorting to faking deaths to get a vehicle pass, smuggling drugs guised as essentials, an increase in wildlife poaching and wood smuggling etc. has indicated that this lockdown period certainly increased the crime ratio.
After the start of lockdown there have been reports of several cases of violence which include social violence, rape, attempted rape, murder, attempted murder, suicide, attempted suicide, sexual misconduct, and cybercrime. Among them the mostly reported form is domestic violence against women and children with husband, family members, neighbors being the mostly accused ones.
During the lockdown, most people are at home and are constantly on their computers and on the internet for entertainment, online work or study purpose. This has led to an increase in cases of cybercrimes as well.
Treatment difficulties
As with lockdown OPD section of the hospitals are closed and people with long term/chronic illness who have to go for a check up on a regular basis are forced to be at home without treatment options. Though the emergency wards of the hospitals are open, there are no available vehicles to go to hospitals as well. The scenario of lockdown has aggravated not only the physical health problems but also is contributing to degrading mental health conditions.
Pressure to work and study
Health care providers have been working to treat the infected people. With 1572 cases till 31th May, health care providers in the infected areas, are in pressure to work day and night. This is the scenario for police as well. Pictures of police sleeping in the ground after exhausting work shows that they are not even able to go back to their home. Not only the front line workers and police but with the trend of online work, many people are pressurized to work from home, despite their proper access to internet.
Adults are more likely to control the fear but it’s more difficult for the children to control the fear. In this scenario of the country, the trend of online classes has pressured the children to study without trying to know the psychological mindset of the students. The question remains are they able to grab what they are being taught?
Stigma on the rise
As the corona Virus infection in Nepal has entered 3rd stage of transmission, there are more than 100 new cases per day and with 8 deaths till now people are in fear state of either them or their loved ones being infected which has led to stigma towards health care providers, police officials, recovered patients, relatives of COVID-19 patients, people coming from other province. News regarding health care providers being forced to leave their rented apartments, recovered patient being threatened are examples that stigma is on the rise.
Finally, with rising cases per day and uncertainty of being infected, stigma on the rise regarding infected people, health care workers etc. the question remains after the lockdown ends, will people be able to go to work, to walk in crowd, to send children to school, without the fear of being infected? This lockdown, quarantine, economic difficulties etc. is likely to increase mental health burden of our country, so is the Nepal Government prepared to take the load? How is the Nepal government planning to tackle the multifaceted impact of COVID-19?
(Sapkota is Psychology Lecturer at Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Goldengate International College, Himalaya College, Dillibazar Kanya Campus)
