COVID-19 | Two samples from Bengaluru detected with Omicron variant

A South African national and a Bengaluru resident who recently returned from an high-risk country were found to be infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19

The Union Health Ministry has confirmed that two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in India for the first time. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) that monitors the genomic variations of the pandemic causing virus too confirmed this.

Two persons – a 66-year-old South African national and another 46-year-old resident of Bommanahalli – in Bengaluru have been detected with the new variant. Both of them have returned from the high risk countries in the first week of November.

Sources said the 46-year-old resident of Bommanahalli has been under home quarantine and is doing fine. None of his contacts had any symptoms. He had returned on November 1 and has completed 14 days quarantine.

The other person, who returned on November 20, has been quarantined in a hotel and over 212 of the hotel staff had been tested and found to be negative.

Soon after the announcement, State health and BBMP officials have started deliberations on further containment and contact tracing measures.

Health and Medical Education K Sudhakar is expected to have a press conference in this regard later in the evening.

Karnataka government is planning to set up dedicated facilities in hospitals with adequate infrastructure and required medicines to handle the possible outbreak of Omicron.

The State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that recommended a slew of measures in the wake of growing concern has said that a dedicated Omicron treatment facility should be established at the State-run Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute. “Later, when necessary, a similar facility should be activated at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD),” stated the TAC report submitted to Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar on Tuesday.

“All symptomatic/suspected cases of COVID-19 from the airport should be admitted separately in these dedicated facilities,” the report stated. The TAC recommended that the State should reconstitute the clinical expert committee to advise the government regarding treatment protocols. Accordingly, Mr. Sudhakar announced that a new 10-member clinical expert panel led by Ravi K., head of the department of medicine in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) would be set up.

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