“No severe symptoms of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 reported so far. 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,” said Lav Agarwal,Joint Secretary of the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry. said during a media briefing
New Delhi:
Two cases of Omicron variant have been discovered in Karnataka, said,Lav Agarwal,Joint Secretary of the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry.
“No severe symptoms of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 reported so far,” Agarwal said during a media briefing.
“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,” he added.
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.
A 46-year-old male and a 66-year-old male were those who contracted the variant. Agarwal said that their identities will not be disclosed for now to protect their privacy.
“All people who came in contact with the two patients have been traced and are being tested,” he said.
There is no need to panic about the Omicron detection but awareness is absolutely essential. Follow COVID-appropriate behaviour, avoid gatherings,” Agarwal said.
He informed that the Omicron variant can be five times more infectious than the other known variants of the novel coronavirus .
“Around 29 countries have reported 373 cases of Omicron Variant so far,” he added.
Earlier, six people, who flew into Delhi from ‘at-risk’ countries, including the UK and the Netherlands, on Wednesday have been admitted to the Lok Nayak Hospital after four of them tested positive for COVID-19 and two ‘showed symptoms,’ officials said.
“On the first day of operation of the Guidelines for International Travellers issued by the Centre as public health response measures for control and management of the newly reported variant of coronavirus, which has been designated as a ‘variant of concern’ by WHO, six passengers were reported to be Covid positive,” the Union health ministry said.
Passengers originating or transiting from ‘at-risk’ countries will have to undergo an RT-PCR test after arrival and will be required to wait for the results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight, according to the revised guidelines which came into effect from December 1.
If tested negative, they will have to be in home quarantine for seven days and will undergo a re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India. If again negative, self-monitor of health would continue for seven more days, it said.
However, if such travellers test positive for Covid-19, their samples should be sent for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network.
Meanwhile, Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D will initially be used in seven states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal — which have been recommended to identify the districts with a high number of of beneficiaries who have not received a single dose of a Covid vaccine for its introduction.