Kathmandu, May 23 – Despite recent increases in coronavirus infections reported by various regions including Singapore, Hong Kong of China, Thailand, and India, health officials in Nepal state that they haven’t observed an uptick in COVID-19 cases within their country.
Officials said only one case of Covid has been detected of late. As a result, gene sequencing has also not been carried out to determine the virus’s properties.
Since the beginning of 2025, only one instance of COVID-19 has been identified,” stated Dr. Ranjan Raj Bhatta, who serves as the director at the National Public Health Laboratory. “Currently, we do not receive an adequate number of nasal swabs from individuals infected with COVID to conduct full genome analysis.
Whole-genome sequencing represents a thorough approach for analyzing all the DNA sequences within an organism’s genome. This technique can aid in monitoring the characteristics and intensity of the virus.
The latest increase in new COVID-19 cases across Southeast Asia can be attributed to the JN.1 variant, a lineage stemming from the Omicron BA.2.86 strain. According to the World Health Organization, this variant carries approximately 30 mutations, with two prominent ones being LF.7 and NB.1.8, which are the primary forms driving the present spike in infections.
Previously, Nepal documented cases of the Omicron BA.2.86 strain along with some of its sub-lineages such as JN.1. The symptoms associated with the JN.1 variant mirror those seen in other strains, encompassing fever, dry cough, loss of taste or smell, headaches, running nose, fatigue, and a sore throat. Research indicates that this particular variant might lead to more intense diarrhea compared to others.
In 2024, Nepal documented 421 cases of coronavirus.
As per media accounts, India presently boasts 257 ongoing COVID-19 cases, with nearly all being minor and requiring no hospitalization. The states of Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and several others, have seen an uptick in fresh infections. Additionally, two fatalities linked toCOVID-positive individuals have occurred in Mumbai; however, physicians assert that these deaths did not result from the virus directly since both victims had preexisting medical conditions.
As of May 3, Singapore documented 14,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Media reports indicate that from January 1 through May 14, 2025, Thailand recorded 71,067 infections along with 19 fatalities during the same period. These increases have been attributed to the XEC variant, a novel recombinant form of the Omicron strain initially detected in Germany in June 2024. This variant combines characteristics from KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 subvariants and possesses numerous alterations facilitating quicker spread.
Hong Kong has reportedly seen up to 30 fatalities in the last four weeks, as permedia accounts.
With the decline in immunity acquired from past infections and immunizations, experts caution that Nepal might experience an uptick in cases in the near future.
Given Nepal’s close geographical location and the flow of individuals from nations experiencing increased infection rates, a virus outbreak can occur anytime within our borders,” stated Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, who leads the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. “We have previously observed COVID-19 outbreaks following spikes in other countries.
Specialists are urging relevant officials to enhance monitoring efforts, such as administering COVID-19 tests to individuals exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Additionally, they have called upon citizens to adhere to fundamental precautions—wearing masks, practicing hand hygiene, and steering clear of crowded areas—to minimize transmission chances.
On Thursday, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division convened a meeting with various stakeholders and agencies, where they were directed to enhance their monitoring efforts.
“We have opted to enhance monitoring procedures at Tribhuvan International Airport due to its role as an entrance for visitors arriving from nations experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases—such as Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and India,” stated Dr. Chandra Bhal Jha, who serves as the director of the division. “In addition to the international airport, we’ve instructed healthcare personnel stationed at terrestrial border checkpoints to remain watchful,” he added.
The department has additionally instructed healthcare centers to get ready to handle a potential new wave. Authorities mentioned that they have reached out to the World Health Organization’s Nepal office for COVID-19 testing supplies in preparation for this expected increase.
We only have a certain quantity of test kits available in our inventory, and these cannot be acquired right away through standard procedures,” stated Jha. “Therefore, we notified the United Nations health agency regarding our situation.
Authorities from the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital stated that they have received instructions to prepare for treating individuals exhibiting symptoms similar to those of Covid-19.
“People coming back from regions affected by disease and exhibiting symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 will be taken to our hospital,” stated Dr. Yuba Nidhi Basaula, the hospital’s director. “Given the increasing number of cases in nearby nations, everybody needs to adhere to precautionary guidelines, which we are all familiar with,” he added.
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