Kathmandu, Nepal: A Norwegian climber Erlend Ness became the first tested positive for COVID-19 on the Mount Everest base camp. Mount Everest is Earth’s highest mountain with an altitude of 8,848.86 m.
This is really bad news for Nepal during the peak mountaineering season and a blow to its hopes to boost the country’s economy during the pandemic.
“It was altitude sick or Covid-19, or both. They are trying to scam me in the hospital”, Norwegian climber Erlend Ness said on his Facebook page.
He took some pictures of the base camp and flew back to Kathmandu. He updated his status- “Last day in Everest Basecamp.”
Ness was evacuated from the slopes by helicopter and taken to a hospital in Kathmandu after spending time at Everest base camp.
“My diagnosis is Covid-19,” Erlend Ness said in a Facebook post. “I’m doing ok now… The hospital is taking care (of me).”
After few days in isolation, Ness said in Facebook “To my family, friends and followers. I’m leaving the hospital today. I feel good and are looking very much forward to go to Dorjis and Tashis house now.”
Norwegian broadcaster NRK, which interviewed him, reported that a Sherpa in his party had also tested positive.
“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 metres [26,246 feet],” Ness told NRK.
Nepal has issued 377 permits this year to climb the mountain, and the final number is expected to exceed the 381 handed out in 2019.
Mountaineering was closed in Nepal last year due to the pandemic and hundreds of foreign climbers returned to Everest this year for the first time since May 2019.
All travelers entering Nepal must show a negative COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 hours of their first flight.
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