STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi/ Bengaluru: India on Thursday reported its first two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 from Karnataka–in a South African national and a Bengaluru doctor with no travel history and both men fully vaccinated–even as the Centre faced questions from opposition parties on a timeline for a booster vaccine.
The Union Health Ministry while confirming the detection of two cases of Omicron variant in Bengaluru asked people not to panic but follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated without delay. It also said the scientific reasoning for booster vaccine doses is under examination and that priority is to complete the task of receiving both jabs of COVID vaccine.
Five contacts of the doctor have also tested positive and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing, the Karnataka government said.
Besides the cases detected in India, 373 cases of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in 29 nations so far, according to an official.
The new potentially more contagious B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 24, and has been designated as a “Variant of Concern” by the global body, which named it Omicron .
Lav Agarwal, the joint secretary in the Union Health Ministry, told a news conference in Delhi that both the patients had mild symptoms. Severe symptoms have not been noted, he added. The Karnataka state authorities identified the patients as a 66-year-old South African man, who has since left for Dubai, and a 46-year-old male doctor working at a government hospital in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru civic agency officials said the South African national came to the city on November 20 and his samples were collected at the airport.
After he tested Covid positive, his samples were sent for genomic sequencing. “The reports have come today confirming that the Covid infection was caused by the Omicron variant,” BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta told reporters. He said the person was isolated in a hotel and underwent Covid test at another laboratory. “This time, his reports came negative and he left for Dubai on November 27 as scheduled,” Gupta said.
Gupta said all the 24 primary contacts and 240 secondary contacts of the foreign national have tested negative. “But they are still kept under watch.”
The Bengaluru doctor had tested positive on November 22 and has no travel history to South Africa or any other country, he said. On developing tiredness, weakness and fever the doctor got tested on November 22, following which he tested positive, he added.
The doctor’s 13 primary contacts and 205 secondary contacts have been tested, Gupta said. “Three primary and two secondary contacts have tested positive. They have been kept under isolation and samples have been sent for sequencing.”
According to officials, both the persons were inoculated with two doses of Covid vaccine.
Agarwal said that following the detection of the two Omicron cases through the INSACOG network, all their primary and secondary contacts were traced in time and tested.
“We need not panic about the Omicron detection but awareness is absolutely essential. Follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and avoid mass gatherings,” ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said, adding that increased COVID-19 vaccine uptake was the need of the hour.
“Do not delay in getting fully vaccinated,” he told the joint news conference in Delhi.
Health Minister K Sudhakar said detection of the new variant proved that aggressive testing has helped in faster identification.
“How it (Omicron) spreads, we can’t say as of now, but there is no need to worry as all the six cases identified so far don’t have any major health issues. We have seen the Delta variant, it had intensity, more issues like breathing, such things have not been noticed so far. Symptoms here are mild,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Sudhakar said the Doctor and his five contacts have been isolated and admitted to a government hospital in Bengaluru and are being monitored. “There are no major issues, they have mild symptoms, which is a matter of comfort.”
Participating in a discussion on the Covid pandemic in the Lok Sabha, Opposition members demanded that the government should inform the House about the roadmap for full vaccination and the booster dose.
“Questions need to be answered over issues such as booster dose of Covid vaccine, whether the gap between Covishield doses could be reduced and status of vaccination for children,” said Amol Ramsing Kolhe of the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP).
Responding to a question at the press briefing, Agarwal said the scientific reasoning for boosters at what timing for which vaccine all that is under examination.
“Our priority is the complete task of receiving both vaccines and this is the strategy which will give us the best dividend”.
About the possibility of clamping a lockdown given the detection of the Omicron variant in India, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul said, “Under the current situation, there is no need for it.”
“Pandemic situation is under control. This is a new challenge which we will address and we have tools to tackle it. We will not panic or fear.
“We have the responsibility of wearing masks, staying in well-ventilated areas and not crowd spaces. Mask is the universal vaccine,” Paul added.
About vaccine coverage, Agarwal said 84.3 per cent of the adult population in India got the first dose while 49 per cent got the second dose.
On the detection of the Omicron variant in India, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the regional director of WHO South-East Asia in a statement said, “It was not unexpected given the interconnected world that we live in.”
“This emphasizes the need for all countries to step up surveillance, be on alert, rapidly detect any importation and take measures to curtail further spread of the virus,” she added.
After two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus were detected in the country, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was sad that international flights were not stopped from the affected countries.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also held a meeting in Delhi with airport and port health officers as well as other authorities over screening and surveillance at all points of entries amid concerns over the ‘Omicron’ variant, official sources said.
The health ministry has been advising states and Union territories to keep a strict vigil and undertake surveillance of international passengers coming to the country through various airports.
Testing of samples of international travellers coming from at risk’ countries on the first day and of specified category of passengers on the eighth day needs to be scrupulously done, it had stressed.
International passengers from at-risk countries are being advised to wait at airports till the report of the RT-PCR test is available.
List of countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing are those in Europe, including the United Kingdom, besides South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
On the significance of vaccination in view of the new variant, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said despite this new challenge vaccination is the most critical tool.
“We are fortunate that we have the tool (vaccination) in plenty and there is no doubt that coverage of vaccines has to increase. Look at the big picture, we have this tool and we must protect every eligible individual with this tool”.
On contact tracing approach of individuals detected with Omicron in India, Dr. Sujeet Kumar Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control, said the government is tracing three types of contacts – primary, secondary and tertiary.
“Remote contacts are also being traced…it comes in the state government domain and state surveillance officers are cooperating for it. In this case (2 cases of omicron) -the primary, secondary and tertiary contacts have been traced.”