Month: July 2020

Mongolia’s low COVID-19 numbers

Currently, Mongolia has one of the lowest reported cases in East Asia, with a low count of 288 total cases and zero deaths (only North Korea is lower, and only because it does not publish its numbers). This can be attributed to the decisive preventative measures adopted by the Mongolian government in early February.

Government officials canceled the national holiday Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian lunar new year, to slow travel between Ulaanbaatar and other provinces outside the capital. They also closed their borders with China and Russia and banned international flights from COVID hotspots like South Korea. The Mongolian Government was able to mobilize a task force of 832 individuals monitoring 336 checkpoints around the country in late February. This, along with Mongolia having a smaller population, allowed the task force to quickly suppress the outbreak in the country.

Some Mongolians have attributed the success and the country’s resilience to Genghis Khan. The nomadic lifestyle and lack of stress and consumerism faced in other countries is said to be because of Genghis Khan’s army’s discipline and resilience and his choice of land being “good land. And he promised that it would protect us,” said monk Ukhaanzaya Dorjnamnan.

Author: Camryn Thomas

Thailand and COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effects on Mental Health

As of July 21st, five new cases appeared from Thai nationals who recently returned home from abroad.  Thailand had a total of 3,261 cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. 95% of these patients have recovered.

Thai epidemiologists have thanked their health care system, which they call one of the finest in the world, for their success and their strict lockdown. However, some of their current troubles come from the mental implications resulting from the pandemic. Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health says that “the next wave of the problem will be mental health.”

Because of the sensitivity regarding this issue, reader discretion is advised. Please read more about this topic here:

NPR “The Dark side of Thailand’s Coronavirus Success”

Author: Camryn Thomas

Laos handles COVID effectively

Despite sharing a border with China, Laos (the Lao People’s Democratic Republic) has effectively handled COVID thus far. Laos has a population of over 7 million and has tested roughly 20,500 with only 19 cases coming back positive.

The first detected cases were registered on March 24th, and the last of the 19 cases was discharged as of June 9th. There have been no new cases since April 12th and no deaths overall.

After two separate Chinese travelers had visited Laos and returned to China and found to have been infected in January, Laos began suspending the issuance of visas to Chinese nationals and reducing its flights to China. There were no other confirmed cases until two months later. With China being the main market for Lao Airlines and the tourist trade also almost completely reliant on China, not many people were traveling in and out of the country, allowing for a full lockdown on March 29th.

With physical testing, social distancing, contact tracing, quarantine, and treatment, Laos was able to contain the virus as much as possible but, like most others, the country is suffering from a recession as a result of the virus. The Lao government has been working with the World Bank to evaluate the economic impact of the pandemic.

Author: Camryn Thomas

Nepal’s case spike and recovery

Since March 24th, Nepal has been under lockdown to help battle the pandemic, and up until May 29th, the confirmed cases were below 1,000 according the the World Health Organization. Since then, cases have spiked to over 17,000.

Despite the considerable surge, the fatalities have been below baseline figures globally, with only 38 deaths so far. One speculative reason behind this figure is that the confirmed cases have been in younger individuals, who have a higher chance at a better outcome than the older populations. The increases have been attributed to Nepalis who are finally returning home from working abroad, and not, as suspected, from the protests that took place in early June.

As of July 14th, Nepal had conducted nearly 290,000 tests and has placed 23,470 people currently in quarantine, according to the Nepali government. According to the Health Ministry, 60.53 percent of the total cases have recovered and returned home.

Author: Camryn Thomas

Bangladesh’s citizens struggle with getting medical care for COVID

As of July 14th, Bangladesh has registered about 190,057 COVID-19 cases and 2,424 deaths. Medical experts say that the real numbers are likely higher because of the lack of testing going on. Though there are roughly 3,000 new cases accumulating each day, hospitals have many empty beds, as citizens are scared to enter hospitals.

In the capital Dhaka, roughly 4,800 of the 6,300 beds set aside for COVID patients are not being used, and there are only 100 patients in a new 2,000-bed field hospital built for the pandemic. In Chittagong, authorities say only half of its dedicated beds are currently filled. According to the health department, the beds aren’t being used because many people are being treated at home. “Most of the patients have mild symptoms. Adequate telemedicine services are available. That may be the reason for empty beds in hospitals,” Nasima Sultana, health department deputy head asserted.

An official for a medical charity has told of the patients hesitations, stating that many have said they’d “rather die at home than die in a hospital.” A survey of 80,000 people carried out with the UN found that 44% of Bangladeshis were “too scared” to even use the government’s COVID helpline. The fear stems from the country’s hospitals not being “patient-friendly.” Rashid e Mahbub, head of the Bangladesh Health Rights Movement spoke on the issue further, “A negative perception have been treated, and that is promoting many patients to stay at home. Few people can afford the expensive private hospitals. […] A significant number of COVID-19 patients are dying at home.”

“We heard the doctors and nurses don’t come near patients for fear of being infected,” an anonymous woman stated. The hospitals had poor reputations before the pandemic, and thousands of wealthier citizens went to Thailand or Singapore for check-ups instead. With borders closed, they are unable to do that. Patients die at home without being followed up by doctors from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Virologist Nazrul Islam said that the questionable patient management system of the DGHS was resulting in the at-home deaths and the patients staying at home were not being followed up with and not declared recovered on confirmatory tests. He believes that the flawed management will prolong the stay of the virus.

Author: Camryn Thomas

US visa rule leaves many Asian students in panic

Normally, overseas students studying at American universities must be taking courses in-person to fulfill the requirements for a US visa, but this regulation was suspended starting March 2020 “for the duration of the emergency,” in light of so many schools quickly going virtual because of COVID-19. On July 6, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement  changed its guidance, instead saying that students must take classes in-person or lose their eligibility to remain in the United States.

After the US announced that international students were required to be enrolled in in-person courses or be sent to their home countries, many students were in a panic. Speaking on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announcement that students would lose their student visas, Ifat Gazia, a PhD student from Kashmir, said “this order is basically pushing students to chose between disease and deportation.”

This policy affects over a million foreign students, but the Chinese student population is the largest, and it faces significant restrictions on traveling home. According to ICE, nearly 80 percent of all international students in the US are from Asia, with the majority coming from China and India. The administration stood by the policy, without particular accommodations for students from Asian countries also navigating the crisis. “You don’t get a visa for taking online classes from, let’s say, the University of Phoenix, so why would you if you were just taking online classes regularly?” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a press briefing.

There are nearly 370,000 Chinese students and and 194,000 Indian students in the U.S. “This unjust and discriminatory attack on international students cuts to the core of our mission of education and research,” Johns Hopkins University Provost Sunil Kumar said.

“If ICE sends me sends me and other Kasmiri students back, we would be left with no remote learning option. I will have to take a leave from my university and sit back home until this order is revoked,” said Gazia, referencing the Indian government-imposed internet blockade in Kashmir. In a similar way, many websites, including Google and Facebook that are used by US universities to communicate with students, are blocked in China.

According to an Institute of International Education report, in which they cited the US Department of Commerce, international students contributed $45 billion to the US economy in 2018. NAFSA has said that foreign students supported over 450,000 jobs in the US during the 2018-2019 academic year. John Hopkins joined the growing list of universities suing the Trump administration to block this rule on foreign students, led by Harvard and MIT.

On July 14, 2020, the government effectively conceded the point, reaching a settlement in the Harvard-MIT suit, and allowing students to remain in the US in these extraordinary times.

Author: Camryn Thomas

Asian Businesses Respond to COVID-19

A guest post today from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School student Youthika Chauhan, a doctoral candidate and Graduate Phillips Ambassador for 2020, as well as a past Mahatma Gandhi Fellow through UNC Sangam and the Carolina Asia Center:

COVID-19 has created an impact on each of our lives in many different ways. But with the onset of the July, more and more countries are relaxing their measures. Several organizations have been instrumental in helping local communities to cope with the stringent legal measures. As a PhD candidate at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, I have the opportunity to study several socially impactful organizations. Many scientists, educators, and other professionals shared their insights about how their organization helped their local communities to cope with the recent difficult times. Their stories are as not only impactful but also inspirational for they symbolize the better times that lie ahead of us.

Smart Air is multi-country social enterprise based in China, India, Mongolia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia that makes affordable air purifiers. Dhariyash Rathod, the CEO of Smart Air India shares that on the outbreak of COVID-19, Smart Air team ran tests to determine the best material suited for making DIY masks. Then, the firm shared their data, and released the “Ultimate Guide to Homemade Face Masks for Coronavirus” on their website.

Kagal Education Society, an educational non-profit based in rural India has been working on some very innovative teaching approaches. Their simple, yet effective use of technology has not only prevented the education of their students from being disrupted, but has also ensured that the educational needs of their each of their students is met even in these difficult times. According to Sharmilee Mane, Director of YD Mane Research Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (part of the Kagal Education Society), “students have goals for their studies.” Sharmilee describes how their organization makes sures that their students can accomplish all of their goals. “Our teachers deliver lectures on Zoom. They share their homework on WhatsApp with the parents. The parents then make the students complete their homework, and share it with the teachers on WhatsApp. We have been conducting classes with not more than 15 students at a time, as per the government’s regulation.” With the right use of technology, Kagal Education Society has set an example for educational institutes to follow, not only in rural India, but also in developing regions across the world.

Winkler Partners, a Taiwan-based law firm has made significant effort to ameliorate vulnerable lives impacted severely by COVID-19. James Hill, Community Coordinator at Winkler Partners shared about their work with me. “We weren’t that badly affected by COVID-19, however a lot of charities stopped supporting or providing services to the homeless because people were encouraged to not interact with each other, to be socially distant. A lot of charities, pulled out of doing the kind of on-the-ground work that they’ve been doing. So, we helped support a charity that was stepping into to provide regular meals to homeless people.”

Indeed, efforts like these allow not only organizations to be resilient in hard times, but also enable local communities to be resilient, and recover soon. While we look forward to better times, it is important to acknowledge the efforts of all those who have provided their time, resources, and efforts in dealing with the pandemic.

Myanmar’s strict COVID prevention regulations

As of July 8th, Myanmar has has a total of 316 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6 deaths. Their cases spiked in early April with a little over 100 cases appearing in a span of two weeks. But what accounts for the low case count? (If such a low case count can be trusted—many experts and observers questioned government narratives of a coronavirus-free Burma in March, and some have been skeptical of official statistics since then, suggesting they reflect limited testing capacity rather than absence of the virus.)

A key element of Myanmar’s response has been strict curfew and quarantine laws. Since March, over 500 people have been sentenced to between one month and a year in prison for violations of these laws, including children, returning migrant workers, and religious minorities. Authorities have charged hundreds for these violations, with some resulting in fines. However, imprisoning people for violating curfews, quarantine, and physical distancing have disproportionately affected certain communities and are seen as counterproductive in reducing threats to public health.

“Limiting public health risks through social distancing is crucial, but jailing people for being outside at night just adds to everybody’s risks,” Phil Robertson, a deputy Asia direction at Human Rights Watch, said. “Throwing hundreds behinds bars in crowded, unhygienic prisons defeats the purpose of containing the spread of Covid-19.”

In March, authorities announced several directives and restrictions which included a mandatory 28-day quarantine for foreign arrivals, nighttime curfews, bans of gatherings of over five people, and several township-level lockdowns.

Some citizens in villages say that they were unaware of the pandemic, as they were still affected by the internet shutdown that began a year ago due to fighting between the military and the Rakhine, an ethnic minority in the country. “With armed conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army in Rakhine State amid a pandemic, it’s critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe,” said Linda Lakhdhir, Asia legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. Between the Scylla of armed conflict and Charybdis of coronavirus, women in Rakhine State have been particularly vulnerable.

The government had blocked many independent and ethnic news sites saying they were supplying “fake news.” However, concerns are being raised by independent rights watchdogs as these blockings prevent access to COVID-19 information, protocols on self-quarantine, and other practices to restrict the spread.

Authors: Camryn Thomas and Kevin W. Fogg

Taiwan’s successful approach to COVID

The world has recognized Taiwan for its effective response to the COVID outbreak. Taiwan has had a total of 446 cases and only 7 deaths as of June 20th, and has eased social distancing restrictions. Restrictions on the total number of people allowed at social gatherings and socially distanced seating arrangements have been removed. Wearing masks in public will still be required, but eating will be allowed in most instances.

Similar to Vietnam, Taiwan focused heavily on the systematic use of its digital health infrastructure after the SARS outbreak in 2003. They used effective testing, isolation, and contact tracing to control the viral spread, and with their electronic health records, they were able to reorient toward slowing the pandemic.

Every person in Taiwan has a health card with an ID unique to them so that doctors and hospitals can access online medical records. Health providers use the cards to document care for reimbursement from the Ministry of Health, which allows the ministry regular, real-time data on visits and use of services. The health card was repurposed when COVID-19 hit to stop the spread by sending physicians alerts about patients at higher risk based on travel history. This utilization allowed for better identification of candidates for testing when supplies were limited. No other society has such an effective real-time electronic heath record system, and this is one of the main attributes of Taiwan’s success, leading to the current opening.

Taiwan has allowed masks to be purchased on the free market, after they were rationed since January when the military was tasked by the government to create them. Taiwan has since exceeded 20 million in production. Many of these masks are being donated to other countries to help their fight against the virus. Whether or not the rest of the world will learn from Taiwan’s success can only be determined by the future, but in the meantime, Taiwan’s aid during this crisis has not gone unnoticed.

Author: Camryn Thomas

Vietnam’s Containment of COVID-19

Despite Vietnam being regarded as “highly vulnerable” to the COVID-19 pandemic because it shares a border with China, it was among the first to lift virtually all domestic containment measures due to a lack of cases. Vietnam used a cost-effective containment strategy resulting in having only 352 confirmed cases and zero deaths over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a population over near 100 million people.

Many wonder about the country’s success, and it can be attributed to their experience with previous outbreaks like SARS in 2003. The Prime Minister prioritized health over economic concerns, and the strategy was successfully deployed with the help of the military, public security services, and grass-root organizations. Through the country was not immune to the economic impact of COVID-19, it is expected to be milder than most countries in the region, as lockdown measures have already been lifted, allowing for businesses to resume operations.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports from China back in December 2019 of “several cases of an unusual pneumonia,” Vietnam finalized a health risk assessment. “Vietnam responded to this outbreak early and proactively. Its first risk assessment exercise was conducted in early January – soon after cases in China started being reported,” Kidong Park, the WHO’s representative to Vietnam said. By the end of January, the Ministry of Health had issued outbreak prevention and detection guidance, and the country issued its National Response Plan and established a National Steering Committee on Epidemic Prevention. Strict containment measures like airport health screenings, physical distancing, travel bans on foreign visitors, public event cancellations, and a 14-day quarantine period for international arrivals were gradually adopted. Schools have been closed since January. The shutdown on non-essential services and strict restrictions of movements were imposed nationwide for three weeks in early April.

Wearing masks in public is strictly enforced, violators could face 9-month prison sentences for violations. Those not wearing a face masks who are found to have infected another person could face up to 12 years in prison.

Many countries with advanced economies around the world adopted mass-testing strategies, while Vietnam focused on high-risk and suspected cases, conducting only 350,000 tests (less than 1 percent of its population). The confirmed tests had a 1 in 35 ratio, the highest in the world, and as a result, the country used extensive contact tracing, and isolation and quarantining for up to third-tier contacts. To help limit transmission, the groups who lived near confirmed cases were tested and isolated swiftly, and would sometimes include entire villages and neighborhoods. Nearly half a million people were subject to vigorous quarantining either at home, or in state-run facilities and hospitals; those who were in hospital care got treatment and quarantine free of charge.  This early containment and use of already existing public and military facilities proved to be cost effective.

Author: Camryn Thomas