Nepal reports first death from Covid variant

Kathmandu

Nepal has reported its first Covid-19-related death in over two years, caused by a new Omicron subvariant. A 39-year-old woman died early Tuesday at Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar. She was brought to the hospital at 4:20 a.m. and passed away at 6:00 a.m., hospital officials confirmed.

This marks the first fatality linked to the current outbreak of Omicron subvariants in Nepal. The country’s Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) said it is coordinating with local health authorities to monitor the situation closely.

Nepal's Health Ministry recently confirmed the presence of multiple Omicron subvariants after whole-genome sequencing of 14 swab samples. As of now, 180 Covid-19 cases have been reported across 25 districts since January, with eight new cases in the last 24 hours.

Bagmati Province leads with 129 cases, followed by Sudurpaschim (17), Madhes (5), and three cases each in Koshi, Gandaki, and Lumbini.

To prepare for a potential outbreak, Nepal has trained over 150 health workers in field epidemiology. These workers are ready to help with Covid surveillance and response efforts.