Nepal could be next India -- except worse

Nepal's cases skyrocket, prompting concern the country's outbreak could mimic India's

CNN

By Julia Hollingsworth, Sophie Jeong and Asha Thapa
via CNN

In Nepal, a situation is unfolding that looks chillingly familiar.

Covid-19 cases are skyrocketing, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the country's Prime Minister is pleading for help from other nations.

Nepal is now reporting about 20 daily Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people -- about the same number as India was reporting two weeks ago.

Last weekend, 44% of Nepal's Covid tests came back positive, according to government figures quoted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as it warned of an impending crisis.

"What is happening in India right now is a horrifying preview of Nepal's future if we cannot contain this latest Covid surge that is claiming more lives by the minute," Nepal's Red Cross chairperson, Dr. Netra Prasad Timsina, said in a statement.

The virus' rapid spread has raised fears Nepal is teetering on the brink of a crisis just as devastating as India's -- if not worse.

Publish : 2021-05-06 17:19:00

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