How are India’s neighbours faring with the Delta variant of COVID?

Although India has passed the peak of its recent coronavirus upsurge, other Asian nations are seeing an increase in cases.

Meanwhile, despite fears that the Delta variant is widespread, vaccination rates across the country remain low (with a few exceptions).

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What happened to case figures?

The Delta variant, which originated in India, was recently named the “most transmissible of the variants identified so far” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In May, infections spiked in several of India’s closest neighbours, including Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (although they are now recording downward trends in numbers).

Nepal was particularly hard-hit, with a sharp increase in infections straining the local health system.

In June, the number of cases in Afghanistan reached an all-time high, with the country’s health minister, Wajid Majrooh, stating that the Delta strain was responsible for 60% of cases in Kabul.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mongolia have all lately reported an increase in case counts, according to the WHO.

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Bangladesh 

Since mid-May, cases in Bangladesh, which shares a long border with India, have been on the rise.

According to government research conducted between May 25 and June 7, 68% of the cases identified in the capital, Dhaka, were of the Delta strain.

Following fears about the variant’s impact, it has now instituted a countrywide lockdown. As a result of the countrywide lockdown, a huge number of migrant workers have left the capital, Dhaka, for their homes elsewhere.

Although Bangladesh was one of the first countries to launch a vaccine campaign, the rollout has been sluggish, and immunizations had to be suspended in April because of a lack of doses.

Bangladesh began vaccinations again on a limited basis on June 22 using Sinopharm vaccines donated by China. As of June 30, just around 3% of the population had been fully immunised.

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Indonesia

Indonesia has also issued a state of emergency in several areas of the country until July 20. Since early June, the government has blamed the Delta variant for an increase in case numbers and deaths.

According to the health ministry, tests revealed that the Delta variant was responsible for roughly 60% of occurrences in the previous three weeks. Although the rate of immunizations has increased in the country, less than 5% of the population has been fully immunised.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent recently stated that the country was on the verge of disaster, citing growing worries over hospital bed availability and oxygen supplies.

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Thailand

The Delta variant has been blamed in part for the recent increase in cases and deaths in Thailand, according to the country’s medical sciences department.

The government announced earlier this week that the Delta strain had been found in 26% of all cases reported in the capital, Bangkok, in the previous week.

It has lately been discovered on islands like Phuket, which has just opened its doors to international visitors in order to bolster its tourism sector.

However, by the end of June, Thailand had only properly vaccinated only 4% of its population.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Prime Minister, recently informed the media that there are dangers, but that “we have to accept the risk so Thai people can make a living.”

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Mongolia

With more than half of the population completely vaccinated, the country has a reasonably high vaccination rate, with the majority of the population receiving the Sinopharm vaccine produced in China.

The high vaccination rate follows the government’s pledge of a “COVID-free summer.”

However, recent increases in cases and fatalities have been among the greatest in Asia per head of population.

According to some studies, growing case numbers in nations that rely largely on Chinese vaccines are linked.

However, in June, a Mongolian official stated that the increase in instances was due to the country’s resumption of normalcy, not because Chinese vaccinations were ineffective.

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Indonesia

More than 85% of vaccinations in Indonesia are produced in China, and more than a dozen health professionals have died after being completely vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine.

Epidemiologists are testing the vaccine’s effectiveness against the Delta variant.

In Indonesia, there is now a dispute regarding whether a third booster shot is necessary, although the WHO has not yet advised it.

Sinovac (and Sinopharm) are both on the WHO’s list of emergency medications.