A Norwegian climber hoping to summit Everest confirmed Thursday that he has examined constructive for Covid-19, in a blow to Nepal’s hopes for a bumper mountaineering season on the world’s highest peak. The pandemic worn out final yr’s season however Nepal has eased quarantine guidelines in an effort to draw extra climbers regardless of the difficulties of treating them in the event that they contract the virus. “My analysis is Covid-19,” Erlend Ness told AFP in a Facebook message. “I’m doing ok now… The hospital is taking care (of me).” Ness was evacuated from the slopes by helicopter and brought to a hospital within the Nepali capital Kathmandu after spending time at Everest base camp.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK, which interviewed him, reported {that a} sherpa in his social gathering had additionally examined constructive.
“I actually hope that not one of the others get contaminated with corona excessive up within the mountains. It is unattainable to evacuate folks with a helicopter after they’re above 8,000 metres,” Ness informed NRK.
Breathing is already difficult at high altitudes so any outbreak of disease among climbers presents major health risks.
“The plan was to get fast high up in the mountains to make sure that we wouldn’t get infected… I’ve been unlucky and I could have done more by myself when it comes to sanitary precautions,” Ness added.
One hospital in Kathmandu confirmed it had taken in sufferers from Everest who had contracted coronavirus however couldn’t give a quantity.
“I can’t share the small print however some evacuated from Everest have examined constructive,” Prativa Pandey, the medical director at Kathmandu’s CIWEC Hospital, told AFP.
But Mira Acharya, a spokesperson for Nepal’s tourism department, said it had so far not received any reports of Covid-19 among climbers.
“A person was evacuated on April 15 but we were informed that he is suffering from pneumonia and is being treated in isolation. That is all the information we have received,” she mentioned.
Dawa Steven Sherpa of Asian Trekking mentioned everybody at base camp was involved.
Nepal has issued 377 permits this yr to climb the mountain, and the ultimate quantity is predicted to exceed the 381 handed out in 2019.
A metropolis of tents internet hosting a whole bunch of international climbers and assist workers is quick rising on the foot of Everest and different peaks within the space.
In current seasons Everest has seen a surge within the numbers of climbers making makes an attempt to summit the slope, resulting in overcrowding that has been blamed for a number of deaths.
Eleven folks died climbing the world’s highest peak in 2019, with 4 deaths blamed on overcrowding. On someday 354 folks had been lined as much as attain the highest from Nepal’s southern aspect and Tibet’s northern method.
To ease the crowding Nepal’s tourism ministry has introduced guidelines capping the quantity of people that can summit the mountain per window of appropriate climate.
Expedition organisers have been informed to ship groups up the height strictly in accordance with allow numbers or restrict the variety of climbers going up at one time.
“The choice… (was) taken after session with expedition organisers and different stakeholders involved,” Acharya mentioned.
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