Covid-19 cases rise again in Nepal, new virus variant suspected

Experts say the rise in new cases of coronavirus in Nepal comes as no surprise after the rise in new cases in India and given the uninterrupted cross-border movement. The ongoing rise in Covid cases is a clear sign that a new virus variant is penetrating the communities, infectious disease experts in Nepal said on Tuesday. They warned that the country could witness a big rise in new cases in the coming days since no measures have been taken to prevent the infection’s spread. “The actual number of positive cases could be several times more in communities than the numbers unveiled by the health authorities, as all infected people are not testing themselves,” said Dr Rajiv Shrestha, an infectious disease expert at the Dhulikhel Hospital.“ And, the rise might have been caused by a new virus variant. Authorities should resume active case finding, which was stopped months ago.” Nepal on Tuesday recorded 24 new...