The Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2 virus had entered Nepal at least five days before it was discovered in South Africa.
The Health Ministry issuing a statement on Monday has confirmed two cases of Omicron variant in Nepal. The infected persons include a 66-year-old foeigner and a 71-year-old Nepali who came in contact with the foreigner.
The ministry has revealed that the foreigner had arrived on November 19, five days before the new variant was identified in South Africa, and he had submitted the negative PCR report as required at the Tribhuvan International Airport and was fully vaccinated.
The statement does not reveal the country but states that the person arrived from a country where Omnicron variant has subsequently been found.
The person the foreigner came in contact with and the foreigner later tested positive when they opted for testing after exhibiting COVID-like symptoms. Subsequent gene sequencing done after the new variant spread across the world and was found in neighboring India showed that they were infected with the variant.
"Both of them are currently recovering staying in isolation as per the protocol set by the Nepal Government. They are currently not showing any symptom 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.
