Nepal records first covid death in over two years amid omicron sub-variant surge

39-year-old woman dies in Biratnagar; officials ramp up genomic surveillance and field epidemiology training to curb new Omicron sub-variants

Kathmandu: Nepal has recorded its first death from the Omicron sub-variants of Covid-19, marking the country’s first Covid-related fatality in more than two years. A 39-year-old woman succumbed to the infection early Tuesday at Nobel Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Biratnagar, hospital manager Dipesh Rai confirmed.

The patient was brought to the hospital’s emergency department at 4:20 a.m. and died at 6:00 a.m., Rai said. Nepal’s Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has been notified, and officials have been directed to coordinate with provincial health authorities to assess the situation, according to division director Dr. Chandra Bhal Jha.

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Testing data show eight new positive cases in the last 24 hours and over 25 in the past week, bringing the total to 180 infections across 25 districts since January. On Monday, the health ministry confirmed that multiple Omicron sub-variants are driving the current outbreak. Whole-genome sequencing of 14 recent swab samples revealed all were infected with Omicron sub-variants.

Bagmati Province has recorded the highest number of recent cases at 129, followed by Sudurpaschim with 17, Madhes with 5, and three each in Koshi, Gandaki, and Lumbini.

In anticipation of further outbreaks, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has completed field epidemiology training for more than 150 health workers across ten batches. “We will mobilize these trained health workers for coronavirus surveillance if an outbreak occurs in the country,” Dr. Jha said.

Provincial health authorities are now monitoring the evolving situation and preparing additional response measures to curb the spread of these highly transmissible sub-variants.