+

OMICRON REARS ITS HEAD IN INDIA

Two cases found in Karnataka; 5 contacts of Bengaluru Omicron case test positive; no severe symptoms of Omicron reported so far, says Union Health Ministry; Maharashtra revises its guidelines for passengers arriving in the state.

The Centre on Thursday said that two people have tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Karnataka. A 46-year-old male and a 66-year-old male were those who contracted the variant. Addressing a media briefing, Joint Secretary of the Union Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal said all primary and secondary contacts of the two infected persons from Karnataka have been identified and they are being monitored and Covid-protocols are being followed. However, the 46-year-old man is a Karnataka resident and does not have any travel history, state Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar said. The 66-year-old man has gone back to South Africa, he said.

“The 66-year-old, who has left for South Africa, via Dubai, had presented a negative certificate for the virus, from a private lab. His primary and secondary contacts (total 264) were found negative. So it means to say that his certificate may be true,” he said.

“Out of the 46-year-old man’s primary and secondary contacts examined, five people have tested positive for Covid-19. So a total of six people have been isolated and admitted to a government hospital. None of them are showing any serious symptoms. All these people are fully vaccinated,” the minister added.

Three primary contacts and two secondary contacts of the 46-year-old man tested positive between 22 and 25 November. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has said that their samples have been sent for genome sequencing and the results are awaited. “As many as 13 primary contacts and 205 secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male were tested. Out of whom, three primary contacts and two secondary contacts were tested positive between 22 and 25 November. All are isolated. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing, results are awaited,” it said. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the state government is being very cautious and will prepare new standard operating procedures (SoPs) to tackle the new variant. The Karnataka CM also mentioned that he will hold a meeting with experts on Friday.

Lav Agarwal said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been studying the emerging evidence of Omicron. “All Omicron related cases are found to have mild symptoms so far…In all such cases in the country and across the world so far, no severe symptom has been noted. WHO has said that its emerging evidence is being studied,” the Joint Secretary said. “No severe symptoms of the Omicron Variant of Covid-19 reported so far,” he said. Agarwal also said that the passengers arriving from ‘at risk’ countries need to undergo an RT-PCR test on arrival. “If found positive for Covid, they will be treated under clinical management protocol. If tested negative they will follow home quarantine for seven days,” he added. Agarwal said that the Omicron variant can be five times more infectious than the other known variants of the novel coronavirus.

The two cases of Omicron were detected through genome sequencing effort of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) consortium of 37 laboratories established by Union Health Ministry, said Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the same press briefing.

Meanwhile, a day after the Centre wrote to Maharashtra saying its order was in divergence with the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Union government, the government of Maharashtra on Thursday revised its guidelines for passengers arriving in the state. In the case of domestic air travel, passengers will either have to be fully vaccinated or compulsorily carry an RT-PCR test certificate showing negative result within 72 hours before boarding. The following countries have been categorised as “high risk countries”—South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe—and seven-day institutional quarantine was mandatory for passengers from these countries, the government said.

In a related development, eight people travelling from “at-risk’ countries, of which four tested Covid positive, were admitted to Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital on Wednesday, as their samples were sent for genome sequencing to detect if the samples are positive for Omicron. As per information shared by the Medical Director of LNJP Hospital Dr Suresh Kumar earlier, six persons travelled from “at-risk” countries, of which one of the patients is from Belgium, one from the United Kingdom, and four are from African countries. “Four tested Covid positive and the other two are suspected to be infected with the virus. The Covid positive patients are not showing any symptoms. They had been kept in isolation and samples have been sent for genome sequencing,” Dr Kumar said.

According to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, apart from the six travellers, two more had arrived from France. Trained doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff have been deputed in the isolation ward and staffers posted in the ward have been asked to wear PPF kits and take all precautionary measures in light of Omicron.

India on Thursday said that it is ready to supply medical equipment and life-saving drugs to any country in Africa, amid the emergence of Omicron. “We are ready to supply medical equipment, assistance and collaboration with any country if they come forward with any such kind of issue,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a press briefing.

Tags:

Featured