Experts warn new variant might spread across Nepal due to open borders
Experts have warned that the new Coronavirus variant ‘Omicron’ detected in Africa might spread across Nepal because of the regular International flights and the open border.
KATHMANDU: Omicron variant of coronavirus has been detected in Nepal.
Organizing a press conference on Monday, the Health Ministry shared that two people arriving in Nepal from South Africa tested positive for the new variant of the virus.
According to Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the ministry, the virus was confirmed during a gene sequencing test carried out at the National Public Health Laboratory in Teku on Sunday.
According to the ministry, a 66-year-old foreign national and another 71-year-old person are found to have contracted the virus.
KATHMANDU, June 3: The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is not aware of any new variant of the coronavirus in Nepal.
Refuting the claim made by Daily Mail, a British tabloid, on Thursday, that Nepal variant has been a threat to the British tourists wishing to go for holidays. The paper reported that the scientists have alerted ministers to the mutant strain – thought to have originated in Nepal and claimed that the strain has spread to Europe. “They fear the strain is resistant to vaccines,” wrote the paper.
“WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The three confirmed variants in circulation are: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” the WHO took to Twitter on Thursday.
WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The 3⃣confirmed variants in circulation are: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2).@mohpnep @PandavRajesh
— WHO Nepal (@WHONepal) June 3, 2021
Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP)also said that three variants B.1.1.7, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.1 were confirmed through a gene sequencing test carried out in India in collaboration with the WHO.
KATHMANDU, May 18: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has confirmed that three variants of the coronavirus have been detected in Nepal.
Ministry assistant spokesperson Dr Sameer Kumar Adhiakri,on Tuesday, said that the result of gene sequencing of samples collected from 35 districts showed that the B.1.617.2 variant was detected in 34 samples while the B.1.617.1 variant was confirmed in a sample.The gene sequencing was performed at CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in India.
Adhikari added that the B.1.617.2 is the variant detected in India in recent days while B.1.617.1 is a UK variant. Nepal first reported the Chinese variant last year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier on May 10 classified the coronavirus variant first found in India as a "variant of global concern".
Issuing a public statement earlier on Tuesday, the ministry urged the people to adhere to public health protocols as the new variant is more infectious and deadlier to all age groups.
