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India saw a single day rise of 656 new cases of coronavirus on Dec 24, pushing the active cases to 3,742 according to the Union Health Ministry. Amid the surge in cases of Covid-19, health experts have asked people to remain calm and follow Covid-appropriate behavior.

In Nepal, health experts have suggested people not to worry about the latest surge of coronavirus infection in India. They say that the mutations of the virus are always evolving, and this is one of the mutations of the omicron variant. 

“Though this strain is circulating faster, it is not very serious. It is not that scary. If you are vaccinated once or twice, or were previously infected there won’t be much severity if you get infected,” said Sameer Mani Acharya Dixit, chairperson and head of research at Intrepid Nepal Pvt Ltd.

The symptoms of the infection are similar to the infection caused by similar other variants of the coronavirus, such as headache, sore throat, fever, etc. Health experts, however, have advised people to take booster shots to prevent oneself from the severity of the infection.

What is JN.1?

JN.1 is a closely-related descendant of BA.2.86, a highly mutated strain that first worried scientists over the summer. BA.2.86 was deemed a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization back in August.

The UN health body has recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86. The WHO defines variants of interest as strains that are worrying enough to trigger stepped up investigations of the variant by countries, like laboratory studies and field investigations of its outbreaks.

Despite its swift dissemination, the WHO has underscored that the overall risk associated with JN.1 is currently considered low based on available evidence.

In recent weeks, JN.1 was reported in multiple countries, and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing globally. But the WHO has maintained that there is no evidence to suggest any additional public health risk posed by the variant.

Concerns triggered

After first being spotted in the United States in September, the variant has spread across 41 countries.

Health experts say the JN.1 is spreading fast in all regions, probably because it has an additional mutation in the spike protein compared to the BA.2.86 variant from which it’s descended.

The outbreak of the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus in India has triggered concerns among the Nepalis. Indian states Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab and Delhi have reported a slight increase in the number of cases of late. 

According to the Indian media reports nearly 93 percent of those infected have mild symptoms and are isolating at home. Among those who are undergoing treatment at hospitals across the country, only 0.1 percent are on ventilator support, 1.2 percent are admitted into the intensive care unit and 0.6 are on oxygen support.

No need to panic

Nepal currently hasn’t seen a rise in the number of coronavirus cases. The authorities however say that they are closely monitoring the development in India.

“Many people in Nepal have had the infection and people have received at least two doses of the vaccine. Therefore, the probability of severe infection is low,” said Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population. “Intensive care units, oxygen plants, and other physical infrastructure constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic can be utilized if needed.” 

Following the surge in coronavirus cases, health desks established at checkpoints and international airports have been placed on standby, and a request has been made to place patients with respiratory problems under special supervision.

“As the infection is seen in Kerala, we are relatively at lower risks. If the infection was seen in the southern areas of India that borders Nepal, it would have been quite risky, as there are high chances for the variant to enter the country in a shorter time span,” said Dr Budhathoki. 

He also informed that patients with long-standing respiratory problems have been recommended for gene sequencing. The ministry has also requested health centers to keep a check on the people visiting the hospitals with the symptoms of coronavirus and has asked them to submit a report to the ministry.

“It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in Sars-Cov-2 [coronavirus] cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season,” the WHO said in its risk assessment.

The UN health agency also noted that there is still limited evidence on how capable JN.1 is of getting round the immunity offered by vaccines.

Strengthen surveillance

The WHO has urged countries in the South-East Asia region to strengthen surveillance and for people to take protective measures in view of increasing numbers of cases of respiratory diseases, including due to coronavirus and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza. 

“The Covid-19 virus continues to evolve, change and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure sharing of data,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for South-East Asia. 

Considering the available, yet limited evidence, the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low at the global level. It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in Covid-19 cases amid a surge in infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

 Ways to protect

 Health experts have advised people to take protective measures and seek timely clinical care when unwell. They have also urged people with high risk such as elderly citizens, people with comorbid health conditions to take vaccination against coronavirus and influenza.

“All WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from all variants, including JN.1,” said Dr Singh. “With Covid-19 continuing to circulate at high levels globally, countries must strengthen surveillance, sequencing and reporting to effectively manage respiratory diseases and to protect people’s health.”

To prevent infections and severe disease, the WHO advises to:

• Wear a mask in crowded, enclosed areas
• Cover up coughs and sneezes
• Clean your hands regularly
• Stay up to date with covid and flu vaccinations, especially if vulnerable
• Stay home if ill
• Get tested if you have symptoms

Nothing ever leaves an ecstatic feeling in life than being closer to the mountains. Beautifully decked mountains with snow on the top and alpine meadow at the center make the soul and mind of wanderers ever happier. My trip to Tilicho has left an indelible mark in my life that I will cherish forever.

Mountains, the source of ecstasy for the wanderers, have been the subject of concerns ecologically after the ratification of the Paris accord in 2015. Literature on mountains and Himalayas one way or the other get high prominence among the writers of this era through their fictional and non-fictional work. Prominent among them is Amitav Ghosh who has been relentlessly writing about the impacts of climate change, swallowing the vast amount of property and millions of people affected across the world every year. Ghosh is a step ahead in raising the issue of climate impacts through his fictional work. The Gun Island, The Hungry Tide, and Sea of Puppies, for instance, precisely depict the impacts of floods and deforestation, affecting thousands of people and animals throughout the world. The typical way of storytelling that Ghosh adopts is amazing in terms of making the readers hooked to the issue he is raising through his characters. Deen and Piya, the characters he has poignantly used in ‘The Gun Island’ love each other selflessly despite hailing from different backgrounds. The love between them is not only the revelation of their intimacy itself but also the manifestation of how Sundarban, one of the areas of dense forest inhabited by various animals including the Bengal Tiger, have been losing their life over the years.

Having studied the literature on impacts of climate change has attracted me to delve into available literature as to how seriously the impacts authors have revealed in their works. More importantly, how have they affected life in Nepal? The book by Pradeep Bashyal and Ankit Babu Adhikari entitled ‘Sherpa: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest’ compelled me to dwell on the mountain literature in order to find what it exactly entails. Both authors have arduously researched the life of Sherpas and their contributions at popularizing Nepal to the world, revealing various anecdotes and incidents that the public rarely know about. My Tilicho trip brought me closer to the realities, something that I had studied in various forms of literature. I did see the Himalayas melting faster than ever. The discussion and interaction I was a part of, helped me know how their life has been affected by the climate change and melting of snow. The family I met en route to Tilicho at Menji of Manang district revealed the fact that the production on agriculture they used to have a couple of decades ago has now been limited due to the erratic weather events. Buckwheat and potatoes, which they used to produce a decade ago, are no longer produced in such a voluminous amount. Apple trees I saw surrounding their farm bore fewer apples compared to last year according to their observation. Similar was the case with the farm owner at Apple Valley, a popular stop on the way to Tilicho. I asked a man who was spreading pesticides on his apple orchard how his production has been over the years. He responded that his year-to-year production was not just dwindling, the size of the apples was also shrinking.

One-night stay at Menji in the house of Chandra Gurung helped us go deeper to the social realities of people living there. Porter by profession, Gurung has built a homestay with four rooms. Hailing from Gorkha, Gurung has been doing his own agriculture works besides working as a porter. There was a deep bond between him and his wife, who works as an assistant at a local health post. The couple’s combined earnings have helped them settle in Menji. A very charming lady, Gurung’s wife has been supporting her husband in the farm and homestay, but also raising and educating their five-year-old girl. The camaraderie between the two could be seen as both of them worked together while preparing the food for us in the kitchen. They have to work together to survive in the mountains.

The snowfall we experienced at Gurung’s homestay, beginning from the evening till midnight, made us realize how cold it could get in the depth of winter. 

As Gurung talked about how he got into the profession and the challenges faced by porters, he also recollected the blizzard at Thorangla Pass (5416m)  that killed scores of Israelis and Nepali people back in 2014. Hearing his story, I was overcome by fear that I could meet a similar fate in Tilicho. 

Dinner was served at around 8 pm. We had plates full of round breads of buckwheat with vegetables, Timur pickle and some ghee.

After a delicious meal, Gurung shared with us a tragic story that nearly had us in tears. The couple had lost their first child who had developed pneumonia just after five days of birth. The lack of health facilities nearby had been the prime cause of the death. I barely noticed the availability of health centers and pharmacies on the way to Tilicho. A very curious thought I still have is that why does Manang not have health facilities? The establishment of health centers would prevent many untimely and unwanted deaths.

Though the transport facility has reached all the way up to Khangsar, what Manang really needs is health facilities. 

So far 11,336 temporary houses have been constructed for the earthquake survivors in five districts. More than 67, 000 beneficiaries have been registered in Jajarkot, Rukum West and Salyan districts of Karnali province and Bajura and Bajhang of the Sudurpaschim Province until now.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said 10,118 more temporary houses are being built. NDRRMA Chief Executive Officer Anil Pokharel said the beneficiaries have been taking the grant amount meant for building temporary shelters entering into agreement and constructing the temporary houses.

According to him, 5,202 temporary shelters have been built in Jajarkot and 5,798 in Rukum West. Similarly, 193 temporary houses have been built in Salyan, 13 in Bajhang and 130 in Bajura districts.

Over Rs 2.26 billion has been allocated to the affected districts and more budget will be needed as the number of beneficiaries rises. Of this amount, Rs 1.53 billion has reached the local levels from the districts. Pokharel added that Rs 587 million 800 thousand has been transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries verified by the local level.

There are 35,140 beneficiaries in Jajarkot followed by 23, 608 in Rukum West; 4,576 in Bajhang; 2,729 in Bajura and 1,730 in Salyan, according to the Authority.

NDRRMA, Policy and Planning Division Chief Bharat Mani Pandey said grant agreement still remains to be signed with nearly 50 thousand additional beneficiaries and the signing of agreement is ongoing. It is estimated that the number of beneficiaries will reach 80 thousand and the Authority is making its preparations accordingly, Pandey added.

He said the NDRRMA is preparing to manage Rs 4.75 billion that would be required for building temporary shelters for the estimated 80 thousand beneficiaries.

The November 3 earthquake with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot affected Rukum West, Salyan, Bajhang and Bajura as well. Now the constructions of temporary shelters for the affected are going on.

Two persons died after being hit by a car at Prasyang of Pokhara Metropolitan City-5 in Kaski on Monday.

The car heading towards Zero KM from Baglung Bus Park knocked down Dholandra Chhantyal of Nadipur, Pokhara-3 and another person, whose identity is yet to be established, last night, according to the District Police Office, Kaski.

They were rushed to the Western Regional Hospital for treatment but doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

Police said that they are searching for the car driver who was on the run after the incident.