The omicron variant of the coronavirus wreaked havoc in Myanmar in March. The number of infections is now on the decline. The months of April and May are the hottest months of the year and during that period it is summer vacation in Myanmar. Schools will start again on Wednesday 25 May. As it looks now, schools can fully open again after two years of lockdown.
Myanmar was already hit hard during the second corona wave in July and August 2021. The infection started in the big cities and quickly spread to the countryside, where almost everyone became infected in many villages. The health care system in Myanmar was totally unprepared for this and there was no national vaccination program. As a result, hospitals were unable to cope with the influx of sick patients. The public hospitals did not have enough materials to offer their employees the right protection, which also resulted in the majority of the hospital staff being infected.
As of April 12, 2022, 52% of the population was fully vaccinated and 41% of the population was partially vaccinated. Corona led to 613,000 registered infections and 20,000 deaths in Myanmar, out of a population of 57 million. But in reality, the number of infections and deaths is many times higher. It is estimated that more than three quarters of the population has had corona one or more times.
