Omicron detected in India, both cases from Karnataka

While one case is of a man aged 46, the other is a 66-year-old man. “Omicron variant was confirmed by genome sequencing,” Agarwal added.

The Union Health Ministry Thursday confirmed the first two cases of Covid-19 patients identified with Omicron variant in India. According to Joint Secretary of the Union Home Ministry, Lav Agarwal, both cases have been identified in Karnataka.

While one case is of a man aged 46, the other is a 66-year-old man, and they are not displaying “severe symptoms”, Agarwal said. “Omicron variant was confirmed by genome sequencing,” he added.

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“All their contacts have been identified and they are under monitoring. The protocol is being followed,” news agency ANI quoted  Agarwal as saying.

The government didn’t give out details of the vaccination status of the two international travellers citing privacy. Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), pointed out that the vaccines are only disease modifying, and will not stop transmission.

The government stated that 373 cases of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in 29 nations so far and India was monitoring the situation.

The potentially more contagious Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on November 24, and has been designated as a “Variant of Concern”. The World Health Organisation has warned of the potential for Covid surges with “severe consequences” fueled by omicron, whose constellation of mutations suggests it may be both more transmissible and capable of evading the immunity provided by vaccination or a prior infection.

Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Parliament on Thursday that 11 countries including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel have been placed in the ‘at-risk’ category amid the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

This is a developing story

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