COVID-19 situation in mongolia
Davaasuren Nergui, DVM
Mongolian University of Life science, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Covid-19 epidemic was first reported in November 2020 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Government of Mongolia has taken a series of quarantine measures until May 2021 to prevent and combat the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and to reduce its negative economic impact. During the quarantine period, workers in critical sectors such as health, energy, and food services were tested with PCR test and given permit papers and permit codes to allow them to work normally. All public and private sectors workers worked online. During the quarantine period, everyone stayed at home, and thus the demand for food increased and the food prices also began to rise. Commodity prices are currently rising due to delays in the import consumer goods and construction materials. The Government of Mongolia is deferring payments for energy, water, and bank loans to support people's health and livelihoods.
Six types of vaccine have been approved for use in Mongolia. They are two RNA vaccines (Moderna mRNA-1273 & Pfizer/BioNTech), three non-replicating viral vector vaccines (Oxford/AstraZeneca AZD1222, Gameleya Sputnik Light & Gameleya Sputnik V) and one Inactivated vaccine (Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV). The government acquire the vaccines from the international companies with international grant aid to vaccinate the people. The vaccine was provided free of charge by the government. In terms of immunization, 74.4 percent of the total population has been vaccinated with the first dose and 70.1 percent with the second dose. With the launch of the immunization campaign, the quarantine zone has been reduced and everyone has been able to move on to a more normal life, following the guidelines for keeping the distance, wearing a mask and washing their hands frequently to avoid the COVID infection. For traveling or going to countryside, the results of the PCR analysis is needed. For those who have a positive PCR, they will get 10 days of home treatment for mild cases as is the recommendation under the supervision of doctors. People with severe illnesses, especially the elderly, diabetics, and pregnant women, are being treated at the hospital under medical supervision. The leading cause of death in COVID are people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease. The main reason for the increase in Covid-19 infection, in my opinion, was the summer travel by people, and the weakening of quarantine measures.
I think that the aggravation of the disease among the population, especially the inability of children to defend themselves, due to the weakening of the professional organization, is the reason for the current state of the disease.
Today September 15, 2021, the total number of Covid-19 cases is up to 257,770 people. Newly confirmed cases are 2351. The total number of death cases are 1046. The new cases registered was 1071 in capital city and 1280 in the countryside. In addition, from the middle of September, people over the age of 18 were included in the third dose of the vaccine on a voluntary basis. Those who have completed the second dose can be vaccinated three months later, and those who meet the criteria will be able to choose between Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines, according to the Ministry of Health.
I work at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences, and in the case of our organization, we started online classes on September 1st, 2021. Lectures are available by online for students, and 15-20 students are enrolled in classrooms for seminars and laboratory practice. Teachers and staffs are constantly reminding other staffs and students to follow a strict infection control protocol while being at school. In the case of secondary schools, online classes and learning in classrooms are combined, and in the case of kindergartens, children aged 4 and 5 are limited to 15 children per class. The government's ban on public gatherings, such as sports competition and Naadam festivals, has led to an increase in online and delivery services.
If people have symptoms of COVID, they will be tested by a rapid antigen test, and if the result are positive, they will be diagnosed again at a professional laboratory and confirmed by PCR. Delta variant patients and their close contacts are being treated at the National Center for Infectious Diseases.
