COVID-19 on Mount Everest

Written by: Aaron Wong Jielun (21-I4), Chao Fangning, Nicole (20-U5), He Jizhao (21-U5), Katelyn Joshy (21-U1), Martha Henrietta Soetedjo (20-U2), Ng Teck Zhong (20-E5), Tiew Zuo Yuan, Richard (21-I2), Zuo Yuning (21-A1)

Designed by: Lay Kai En, Ashley (21-O1) 

Introduction

‘Novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China’—this revelation made a splash in the global media, sending the world into a frenzy in December 2020. Like ripples on water, COVID-19 was soon everywhere. Nation after nation fell to COVID-19, not one was spared. Globalisation has brought this virus to the far reaches of our world, yet many believe there are still places where COVID-19 has yet to touch. Think again! For even the most desolate of places- Mount Everest has seen the wrath of COVID-19. In this article, we will be delving into COVID-19 cases in the most frigid parts of Earth.   

Mount Everest Before COVID-19

Standing at nearly nine thousand metres tall and located in the Himalayas on the China-Nepal border, Mount Everest’s daunting height has done little to dissuade the thousands of climbers that have scaled its terrifying slopes since the first few climbing expeditions in the 20th century. While initial expeditions were composed of purely researchers and professionals, by the late 2000s, many trips up the mountain had become commercialised. Now, many amateur climbers pay a pretty penny of up to a hundred thousand dollars for a chance to brave Everest’s deadly peaks—government permit, elite Sherpa guide, oxygen, and other equipment included. 

Climbers can approach the summit from either Nepal in the South or Tibet in the North. People taking the South route pass through Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, and the village of Lukla on their way there while those taking the North route may pass through Tibetan villages and the famous Rongbuk Monastery. Despite Mount Everest expeditions entering the mainstream, scaling the mountain remains as risk-filled as ever; its inhospitable conditions of below freezing temperatures, low air pressure, vicious winds and slippery terrain have sent about three hundred aspiring climbers to frozen graves.

As Covid-19 rears its ugly head in the region, the conditions there can only get deadlier.

Timeline of Events

Around mid-March, India was hit by the second wave of Covid-19. Unfortunately, neighbouring countries were not spared, especially Nepal, which later became the country with the highest rate of infection among India’s neighbours. Unexpectedly, the coronavirus spread to the peak of the world, Mount Everest. Patient zero, a Norwegian climber Erlend Ness, had been feeling sick for about six days in the mountains before being evacuated on April 15 by helicopter. It is said that many mountaineers in the base camp developed coronavirus-like symptoms. So far, there have been 17 positive cases, reported by officials. As dangerous as COVID-19 is, many mountaineers were initially reluctant to make their leave as summiting the peak were many of their life dreams. However, after considering the danger posed by the lack of test facilities and the risk of contracting the virus at high altitudes, climbers are now leaving. Still determined to continue operating at  Mount Everest, the Nepalese government has denied having any knowledge of positive cases at Everest base camp. However, it is speculated that the authorities in Nepal are going to take action in the near future.

Nepal’s Healthcare System

Nepal’s healthcare system is ranked 111th out of 195 countries in the world as of 2019. The same report also mentioned that while Nepal is “prepared” in maintaining the health of its citizens, it is lacking in the areas of detection and reporting. Thus, Nepal’s laboratory, reporting and surveillance systems, especially with regards to epidemiology, are underdeveloped. 

With the recent and deadlier wave of the virus in neighbouring India, Nepal is facing the risk of a sharp spike in cases and deaths. Worse, reports indicate that contact-tracing efforts are not conducted fully for most of the cases, and the actual statistics reported by the Nepali government may not represent the full scale of the problem facing Nepal.

With the above in mind, let’s return our focus to the Covid cases in the Himalayas. With a deteriorating situation back at home, the situation on Mount Everest will certainly strain Nepal’s capacity to detect and contain coronavirus cases within her borders. We shall now explore the details of the current medical situation in the Base Camp, whether Nepal’s healthcare system is able to cope with the increasing caseload.

Medical Situation on Mount Everest

Mount Everest’s self-identified “patient Zero” was Ness, who had announced his contraction of the virus during his hike in the mountains. As recalled, Ness had found himself weak merely 5 days after his team’s trek towards base, where his condition only became worse. After enduring the severe symptoms of headaches and fevers, Ness was finally tested positive for the virus. 

With the high altitude, chilling cold, and low oxygen levels, COVID-19 poses an even greater threat to these hikers, more so than it already has. As aptly put by an expedition leader Furtenbach, catching the virus while one’s body is “already working on its limits”, could very well be a direct threat to their life. The already harsh conditions put each hiker’s body at a higher risk of developing any form of respiratory illnesses, which coincidentally is one of the main targets of COVID-19. Expedition leader Ballinger mentioned that high altitudes cause immense fatigue over the period of the trek, pushing the body even further to its limits, making it highly susceptible to such infections. 

Detecting the virus has also been proven difficult. The aforementioned conditions of Mount Everest have resulted in the “Khumbu Cough”, a persistent cough that many hikers get during the trail leading to the camp. This further complicates distinguishing between patients and regular hikers.

Going Forward: What Should be Done?

It is obviously a great challenge to offer medical assistance to those trapped in the tall mountains. There is no easy way for personnel or equipment to enter, and Nepal and India, both devastated by Covid at home, aren’t likely to help on their own. Therefore, besides the efforts and perseverance of the brave Everest climbers, what perhaps is needed is international efforts that can transcend the narrow self-interest of individual nations to ensure that these people will receive the treatment that every human being deserves.

Conclusion

Overall, the current and future COVID-19 situation does not look great at Mount Everest - dozens of suspected cases, denial by the Nepalese government, and even China has reacted by planning to set up a separation line on Mount Everest. The lives of hikers whose life pursuits were to conquer the tallest mountain in the world are threatened by the spread of the virus all over the camps, potentially adding on to more than 300 deaths at Mount Everest. Hopefully, the current pandemic will eventually end and people will be able to scale the mountain safely. 

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