National

Nepal Airlines to rescue Nepalis from Hubei on Saturday

While cockpit crew will be quarantined for a week, all others, including cabin crew and passengers, will be placed in isolation for at least two weeks, officials say. Nepal Airlines to rescue Nepalis from Hubei on Saturday

A checkpoint is seen at a residential community in Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus. REUTERS/Aly Song

bookmark

Sangam Prasain

Published at : February 15, 2020

Updated at : March 19, 2020 16:08

Kathmandu

Foreign nationals are thinning out in Hubei Province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, as governments across the world are fast evacuating their citizens. For the 182 Nepalis who have asked to be airlifted out of Hubei, Saturday will come as a relief.

A 274-seater Nepal Airlines Airbus A330 will depart from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport at 2:45 pm local time on Saturday and land at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 9:00 pm local time, flying over India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Saturday’s flight appeared uncertain as of late Friday night, as Nepal Airlines had yet to receive clearance from China. Clearance only arrived at 7.30 pm, according to Captain Deepu Jwarchan, director of Nepal Airlines' operations department.

According to Jwarchan, the evacuation plane will have two captains—one foreigner and one Nepali—with flight attendants, doctors, an engineer and other technical personnel. The plane, at the initiative of the Health Ministry, will also carry health personnel with expertise to deal with infectious diseases, according to Nepal Airlines officials.

The plane will airlift at least 182 people stranded in Hubei who have expressed their desire through the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing to return home. Jwarchan said that all these Nepalis will have to undergo a detailed health check-up under quarantine conditions before they board the plane.

In China, Nepal Airlines has appointed Mainland Ground Express Limited, a Chinese aviation logistics company, to facilitate handling of the Nepalis at the airport, according to Jwarchan.

According to Nepal Airlines officials, the cabin crew would be de-rostered and kept under observation.

Cockpit crew members will only be allowed to return to duty after spending at least a week in isolation, provided that they do not develop any symptoms. The rest of the cabin crew, however, will have to remain in quarantine for at least two weeks.

“They will be constantly monitored by doctors,” said Jwarchan.

Earlier, when plans to send the Nepal Airlines aircraft were being discussed, officials had said that all flying crew would stay at home.

The pilots and cabin crew, including other officials, have already completed training for the evacuation and will undergo detailed briefing before the plane leaves for China on Saturday.

"All procedures are in line with guidelines from the World Health Organization," said Jwarchan. "All people—flight crew, ground handling, customs and immigration staffers—will be provided with personal protective equipment."

According to Jwarchan, protective suits, shoes, gloves, masks, eyewear and headgear will be required for the crew and the support staff.

Given the sensitivity of the evacuation and the inherent risk, it has been difficult getting together a crew willing to fly to the epicentre of the outbreak, said officials.

Officials, including pilots, told the Post last week that evacuation from a quarantine zone requires meticulous planning.

In Wuhan, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the aviation authority, will arrange for all necessary logistics. But after landing in Wuhan, which is being described as a ghost town, the wait for the pilots and cabin crew could be longer than expected.

According to a report in the Hindu newspaper on the evacuation of Indian citizens, pilots had to wait eight hours at Wuhan airport before they returned with Indians evacuees.

“If things go as planned, we will be able to land at 2:15 am [local time] the next day in Kathmandu,” said Jwarchan. “But we cannot say at this point how much time it will take to evacuate people from the airport.”

Sagar Dahal, deputy spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said that they have completed all preparations, including logistics.

“We are sending four health officials, including a doctor. All Nepalis will have to go through screening at the airport in China before boarding the flight,” he said.

According to Dahal, each passenger will be given information at their seat regarding how they will be quarantined and for how long, including provisions for meeting with their families and other legal issues.

“They will also have to fill up a self-declaration form regarding their health condition,” he said.

The new strain of coronavirus, which has now been dubbed Covid-2019, spreads from person-to-person in close proximity, similar to other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu. The virus can be contracted from droplets of bodily fluids—such as saliva or mucus—from an infected person that are dispersed in the air or on surfaces while coughing or sneezing.

The transmission will be of particular concern during transport, as droplets containing the coronavirus could pass between passengers or via surfaces like plane seats and armrests.

Concerns, however, remain over quarantining the evacuees. Though the government has said training centres of the Nepal Electricity Authority and Nepal Drinking Water Corporation in Bhaktapur will be converted into quarantine facilities, locals have protested their placement.

Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak

UPDATED as of September 22, 2020

What is Covid-19?
Covid-19, short for coronavirus disease, is an illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, short for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

How contagious is Covid-19?
Covid-19 can spread easily from person to person, especially in enclosed spaces. The virus can travel through the air in respiratory droplets produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. As the virus can also survive on plastic and steel surfaces for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours, any contact with such surfaces can also spread the virus. Symptoms take between two to 14 days to appear, during which time the carrier is believed to be contagious.

Where did the virus come from?
The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late December. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that is responsible for everything from the common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). After an initial outbreak in Wuhan that spread across Hubei province, eventually infecting over 80,000 and killing more than 3,000, new infection rates in mainland China have dropped. However, the disease has since spread across the world at an alarming rate.

What is the current status of Covid-19?

The World Health Organisation has called the ongoing outbreak a “pandemic” and urged countries across the world to take precautionary measures. Covid-19 has spread to 213 countries and territories around the world and infected more than 31,405,983 people with 967,505 deaths and 22,990,260 recoveries. In South Asia, India has reported the highest number of infections at 5,557,573 with 88,943 deaths. While Pakistan has reported 306,304 confirmed cases with 6,420 deaths. Nepal has so far reported 65,276 cases with 427 deaths.

How dangerous is the disease?

The mortality rate for Covid-19 is estimated to be 3.6 percent, but new studies have put the rate slightly higher at 5.7 percent. Although Covid-19 is not too dangerous to young healthy people, older individuals and those with immune-compromised systems are at greater risk of death. People with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, or those who’ve recently undergone serious medical procedures, are also at risk.

How do I keep myself safe?
The WHO advises that the most important thing you can do is wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol content. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands. Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces like your computers and phones. Avoid large crowds of people. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist for longer than a few days.

Is it time to panic?

No. The government has imposed a lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. There is no need to begin stockpiling food, cooking gas or hand sanitizers. However, it is always prudent to take sensible precautions like the ones identified above.

Sangam Prasain
Sangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.