Two cases of the Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2 virus has been found in Nepal.
The Health Ministry issuing a statement on Monday has confirmed two cases of Omicron variant in Nepal. "Both of them are currently recovering staying in isolation as per the protocol set by the Nepal Government. They are currently asymptomatic and under observation of health officials," the statement states.
The ministry has claimed that it carried out contact tracing for the two and added that none of the 66 persons who came in contact with the two tested positive.
The newest variant was discovered just over a week ago by scientists in South Africa and Botswana, and it’s now been found in multiple countries. Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.
But preliminary reports by South African doctors show that it may not be more virulent with none of the patients there requiring hospitalization raising hopes that it may not be more virulent than the Delta variant even if it were more contagious.
