At least 17 mountaineers test positive for COVID at the 17,600-ft Mount Everest Base Camp

When the Coronavirus pandemic broke out last year, no one had imagined that one day it would spread to one of the highest and most difficult-to-access places on the planet, the Mt Everest Base Camp. However, now a whopping 17 climbers have tested positive and more are suspected to be infected. The blame for this Himalayan disaster lies at the door of Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Just like India, Nepal is in the grip of a major Coronavirus outbreak with the national positivity rate at a staggering 47 per cent, and the nation battling a shortage of vaccines, hospital beds and oxygen. Meanwhile, Oli, in the middle of a political crisis too, is facing stringent criticism for his mishandling of the health emergency. The beleaguered Oli has now appealed for international aid to help the Himalayan country tide over this crisis. Though the help will not be long in coming, Oli and the Government have a lot to answer for. Despite the raging pandemic, his Government did not think twice before opening the doors to foreign climbers who wanted to make the most of the spring climbing season. In fact, Nepal gave nearly 400 permits to foreign climbers by April end, almost the same number as in 2019, before the pandemic hit the world.

Many experts had warned then that it was only a matter of time before the Coronavirus made its way to the world’s highest peak, and their worst fears have come true. Now, Nepal is sitting on a super-spreader, not just because of the crowded camps and the rotating crew of porters and yak drivers but also due to the fact that it does not have the wherewithal to handle the spread of the virus at that altitude. Besides, the fact that the High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema — which a lot of mountaineers face — resembles the COVID-19 symptoms makes it more difficult for the disease to be diagnosed correctly and contained. It is evident that the Nepal Government’s reliance on Mt Everest as a source of revenue overruled better judgement; it has already collected more than $3.8 million in fees from climbing permits this year, and the amount that climbers spend in the country typically accounts for over $300 million. Though the Government is trying to deny the Base Camp outbreak, it is again being forced to close its doors to the world. One wonders if the revenue earned from the climbers and tourism was worth it.