Health ministry suspects local transmission of the variant in the valley
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 7
Twenty-two per cent of samples collected from COVID patients in Nepal are suspected to have the Omicron variant of the disease.
According to the health ministry, 1,146 COVID positive samples were collected from across the country since the beginning of December. Of those, 250 had S-gene negative in them, which means they are suspected of having the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Health authorities performed gene sequencing on some of the 250 samples, of which 24 tested positive for the Omicron variant.
Gene sequencing on the samples is being done in batches at National Public Health Laboratory in Teku.
According to a source, 21 of the 24 samples that tested positive for Omicron were from Nepali Army personnel who had recently returned after completing their mission in Sudan.
Other COVID patients with the Omicron variant are those who have returned from land crossings, said the source. The ministry suspects cases of local transmission as well.
"The Omicron variant is suspected in people who do not have any travel history.
Local transmission cases are suspected in Kathmandu valley and in areas bordering India," said Samir Kumar Adhikari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population.
Health authorities are monitoring those who have tested positive for the Omicron variant.
Keeping in view the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, the health ministry has asked all hospitals to prepare for a probable patient influx.
Hospitals have also been told to stockpile sufficient medical supplies, especially oxygen. The ministry has also asked all the health personnel to be prepared for emergencies.
With Omicron suspected in 22 per cent of patients, a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the country is very likely, as Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant. The health ministry has requested people to adhere to health safety measures such as wearing masks, frequent hand washing, and maintaining social distance.
Meanwhile, Brig Gen Santosh Ballav Poudyal, spokesperson for the Nepali Army, said, "Personnel who return from foreign countries stay in quarantine and undergo mandatory PCR test. If they test positive for COVID, they are isolated and undergo treatment. We also trace their contacts. We do not release anyone from quarantine or isolation until they test negative for COVID."
A version of this article appears in the print on January 8, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
