Corona on Mount Everest: – Fear of infection

The epidemic put an end to the Mount Everest season last year, but this year Nepal welcomed the climbers again, which posed challenges. In early May, the peak season for climbing the Himalayas, At least 17 people have tested positive for coronavirus At base camp on the highest mountain in the world.

You can hear people coughing everywhere, but that’s just not the usual cough climbers here. You realize that people are in pain and that they have other symptoms like fever and body aches, as Furtenback Adventures leader Lukas Furtenback said, BBC When cases appeared.

The tragic situation on the mountain has prompted China, which shares the mountain with Nepal, to take drastic measures.

Cancel all trips

The highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, is located on the border between Nepal and China, so climbers can climb 8,849 meters from both countries.

Only Chinese citizens were allowed to climb from the Chinese side of the mountain during the epidemic, a measure introduced to avoid the import and spread of the Coronavirus. When the infection spread to the primary camp in Nepal, the Chinese authorities decided to increase infection control and thus set up barriers to keep the climbers separate.

Now all expeditions planned for the spring season have also been canceled.

The Chinese Sports Administration on Saturday suspended the companies that allowed them to organize climbing activities from the Tibetan side of the mountain, the Chinese News Agency (Xinhua) quoted the Chinese news agency as saying. CNN.

The decision is based on concerns about importing infections from climbers from the Nepalese side.

“Climbing the mountain with the increasing number of injuries and risking the lives of our 20 clients, four mountain guides and 27 shirbas would be indifferent and irresponsible,” Fortenback said in a statement to the newspaper.

– Too extreme

There is no risk of infection

Nepal is currently severely affected by the virus, and around 20 percent of the total virus cases in the country have been recorded in the past 10 days. Despite high infection pressure and a lot of pressure on healthcare, Rudra Singh Tamang, head of the country’s tourism ministry, stated that Nepal will not stop Everest flights.

Exploration will not be canceled. Tamang, who tested positive for the virus, said that Everest is an isolated area, so there is no risk of contracting Corona infection. He writes for the New York Times.

While China imposed strict measures and banned foreign nationals from climbing the tallest mountains in the world, Nepal is witnessing a record climbing record. This year, they gave 408 permits to climb the mountain. This is the highest number ever and provides an income of several million, according to The New York Times.

He risked his life to solve the mystery of Mount Everest

Lack of test ability

There has always been a desire to provide test opportunities at base camp on Mount Everest, but this has not been possible.

– We asked for a test station, but the authorities said they could not allow us to set up it, According to the doctor Prakash Kharel.

Many expedition groups used the tests it brought with them, but infection is still rife in the tourist attraction.

A Norwegian injured on Mount Everest

Many Norwegians have recently attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world. Norwegian climber Ireland Ness from Trondheim defied travel advice for his dream of standing on top of Everest, but He contracted the Coronavirus on his way to the base camp I am Nepal.

– After 10 years of climbing high mountains around the world without altitude sickness, not even a headache, I’m very sick on the way to the Everest Basecamp. He wrote on his Facebook page three days after I got there with medication and oxygen, I was taken by helicopter to Kathmandu today, and I’m now in the hospital diagnosed with pulmonary edema.

Former handball player But Frank Locke made it to the top Earlier this week.

“Mount Everest 8849. What a journey. It only took 22 days from when I landed at the world’s most dangerous airport in Lukla to climb Mount Everest on May 11th – this is just the beginning for people, ”he wrote on Instagram right after the mountain hike.