Mass Evacuation and Quarantine Stay during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Experience of Nepalese Students Evacuated from Wuhan, China

Abstract

Introduction: Many Nepalese students were struck in China demanding to be evacuated to Nepal during COVID pandemic. Government of Nepal had evacuated and rescued 175 students from China and kept them in Quarantine for maximum incubation period. This study aimed to seek experience of the students who stayed in the quarantine center designated for Nepalese evacuees from Wuhan during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods: All of the students repatriated from Wuhan were included in the study. Total of 165 participated for the study. A structured questionnaire was made and used for the study. Data was collected within a period of one week. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Ver 20.0, appropriate descriptive statistics were calculated and appropriate graphical representation done.

Results: More than 77% of the respondents rated the evacuation procedure from Wuhan China to Nepal to be excellent. 60 % of the respondents rated the screening procedure at Tribhuwan International airport as excellent. Nearly 2/3rd of the respondents felt that their movement from airport to Quarantine area was excellent. All of the respondents said that the behavior of the staffs in quarantine to be courteous. 66.1% of the respondents rated their experience in quarantine as excellent. Regarding Hygiene and sanitation of the camp almost all of the respondents felt it was very good while nearly 2/3rd saying it excellent.

Conclusions: Majority of the respondents rated their overall experience in Kharipati quarantine as excellent. Lessons from the quarantine’s residents can be used further in development of quarantine centers so that people follow normal prevention and control measures during pandemics and stay in quarantine happily for the period of maximum incubation period.