Mount Everest’s first COVID-19 case was discovered this month after Nepal reopened the mountain to tourists, according to Outside.
What happened at Mount Everest?
A climber at the base camp for Mount Everest tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
The patient reportedly suffered from high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). When he was taken to a hospital in Nepal, the patient tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to The Hill.
- The expedition team ended up quarantining shortly after the positive COVID-19 test was revealed.
Norwegian climber Erlend Ness, who contracted the virus, said he was unsure how he became infected, according to BBC News.
- However, he said he should have “done more” to protect himself, like wearing a mask all day and hand-washing more often than he did, according to BBC News.
- “Not many people used masks on the trek,” he said.
Altitude sickness vs. COVID-19
Suraj Shrestha, a volunteer with the Himalayan Rescue Association, told Outside that base camp can create a problem for hikers because altitude sickness can appear similar to COVID-19 symptoms — like coughing and shortness of breath.
- “With HAPE and COVID-19, we have a diagnosis dilemma, because they share symptoms,” Shrestha told Outside.