新型コロナ、エベレストにも到達　登山家が陽性

【カトマンズＡＦＰ＝時事】世界最高峰エベレスト登頂を目指すノルウェーの登山家が、新型コロナウイルスの検査で陽性となった。ＡＦＰが２２日、本人に確認した。春の登山シーズンに期待をかけるネパールにとっては痛手となった。（写真は資料写真）
　昨年の登山シーズンは新型コロナウイルスのパンデミック（世界的な大流行）により大きな打撃を受けた。登山時に感染した場合、治療は困難になるが、ネパール政府はより多くの登山者を呼び込むため検疫規則を緩和していた。
　陽性となったのはアーランド・ネスさん。フェイスブックのメッセージでＡＦＰに対し、新型コロナウイルス感染症の診断を受けたと説明。病院で治療を受けており、「今は大丈夫」だと明かした。
　ネスさんはエベレストのベースキャンプに滞在した後、ヘリコプターで首都カトマンズの病院に搬送された。ノルウェーの国営テレビ・ラジオＮＲＫによると、ネスさんの登山チームのネパール人ガイド（シェルパ）も陽性となった。
　ネスさんはＮＲＫに「他の誰も、高地でコロナに感染しないよう心から願っている。標高８０００メートルを超えると、ヘリコプターで人々を避難させることは不可能だ」と語った。
　標高が高い地点では呼吸自体が困難になるため、登山者の間で感染症が発生すると、大きな健康上のリスクが生じる。
　カトマンズのトラベルクリニック「シベック」はＡＦＰに対し、エベレストから複数の陽性者を受け入れた事実は認めたが、人数は明らかにしなかった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/04/23-12:51）

A Norwegian climber hoping to summit Everest confirmed Thursday that he has tested positive for Covid-19, in a blow to Nepal's hopes for a bumper mountaineering season on the world's highest peak.
The pandemic wiped out last year's season but Nepal has eased quarantine rules in an effort to attract more climbers despite the difficulties of treating them if they contract the virus.
My diagnosis is Covid-19, Erlend Ness told AFP in a Facebook message. I'm doing ok now... The hospital is taking care (of me).
Ness was evacuated from the slopes by helicopter and taken to a hospital in the Nepali capital Kathmandu after spending time at Everest base camp.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK, which interviewed him, reported that a sherpa in his party had also tested positive.
I really hope that none of the others get infected with corona high up in the mountains. It is impossible to evacuate people with a helicopter when they're above 8,000 metres, Ness told NRK.
Breathing is already difficult at high altitudes so any outbreak of disease among climbers presents major health risks.
The plan was to get fast high up in the mountains to make sure that we wouldn't get infected... I've been unlucky and I could have done more by myself when it comes to sanitary precautions, Ness added.
One hospital in Kathmandu confirmed it had taken in patients from Everest who had contracted coronavirus but could not give a number.
I can't share the details but some evacuated from Everest have tested positive, Prativa Pandey, the medical director at Kathmandu's CIWEC Hospital, told AFP.
But Mira Acharya, a spokesperson for Nepal's tourism department, said it had so far not received any reports of Covid-19 among climbers.
A person was evacuated on April 15 but we were informed that he is suffering from pneumonia and is being treated in isolation. That is all the information we have received, she said.
Dawa Steven Sherpa of Asian Trekking said everyone at base camp was concerned.
Nepal has issued 377 permits this year to climb the mountain, and the final number is expected to exceed the 381 handed out in 2019.
A city of tents hosting hundreds of foreign climbers and support staff is fast growing at the foot of Everest and other peaks in the area.
In recent seasons Everest has seen a surge in the numbers of climbers making attempts to summit the slope, leading to overcrowding that has been blamed for multiple deaths.
Eleven people died climbing the world's highest peak in 2019, with four deaths blamed on overcrowding. On one day 354 people were lined up to reach the top from Nepal's southern side and Tibet's northern approach.
To ease the crowding Nepal's tourism ministry has announced rules capping the number of people who can summit the mountain per window of suitable weather.
Expedition organisers have been told to send teams up the peak strictly in accordance with permit numbers or limit the number of climbers going up at one time.
The decision... (was) taken after consultation with expedition organisers and other stakeholders concerned, Acharya said.