Coronavirus Outstretched Everest & Attacked Mountaineer
Erlend Ness, rescued from the slopes with help of a helicopter, was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu
Coronavirus is globally spreading at a rate of knots and has now reached Everest as a Norwegian mountaineer hoping to summit the mountain has tested positive for covid-19.
In a blow to Nepal’s mountaineering season on the world’s highest peak, the mountaineer who was about to begin his Everest summit confirmed being coronavirus positive.
“My diagnosis is covid-19, I am doing ok now. The hospital is taking care of me”, Erlend Ness told Associated Press.
Read Also
Pakistani Student Outlived Acid Attack Post George Floyd Verdict
He was evacuated from the slopes with help of a helicopter and was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu.
“I really hope that none of the others get infected with corona high up in the mountains. It is impossible to evacuate people with a helicopter when they are above 8,000 meters”, Ness told NRK, a Norwegian broadcaster.
“The plan was to get fast high up in the mountains to make sure that we wouldn’t get infected, I have been unlucky”, he added.
Last year, Nepal’s mountaineering season didn’t go well due to strict quarantine rules and SOPs but this year, the country has eased the rules in an effort to attract more climbers.
Despite the difficulties amid pandemic, Nepal issued 377 permits this year for mountain climbing.
On the other hand, one hospital in Kathmandu has confirmed that it has received few more coronavirus-positive patients from Everest but unable to confirm the numbers.
However, a Nepalese mountaineering official denied there were any active cases on the mountains at the moment.
