No case of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 which has spread to many countries in the world has been detected in India. However, the Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar has said the sample of one of the two recent South Africa returnees appears different from the Delta variant.
Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka health minister said, "There is a delta variant for the past nine months only, but you are saying that one of the samples is Omicron. I cannot say about it officially. I am in touch with the ICMR and central government officials." The sample has been sent to ICMR, he said.
"There is a 63-year-old man whose name I should not disclose. His report is a bit different. It appears different from the Delta variant. We will discuss with the ICMR officials and will let people know by the evening what it is," Dr K Sudhakar said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Health Minister has said that he will chair a meeting on Tuesday with the officers of his department, from the Principal Secretary to the Primary Health Centre level doctors, regarding the steps to be taken.
Amid all the hullabaloo regarding the newfound variant, experts stress vaccines remain a critical tool to fight against the virus. On the other hand, the World Health Organisation has said it is 'not yet clear' if the newly-detected variant is more transmissible or causes more severe disease.
However, authorities across states in India ramped up efforts to deal with the evolving situation. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the situation is being closely monitored regarding any further decision on resuming scheduled international passenger services.
In Chandigarh, a 39-year-old resident who returned from South Africa has been home quarantined. In MP's Jabalpur, health authorities launched a search for a woman from Bostwana who visited the city on November 18.
The Delhi government authorities have ordered RT-PCR testing for all people arriving from 'high-risk' countries, genome sequencing of the positive cases and mandatory isolation. In Maharashtra's Thane, a 32-year-old Merchant Navy engineer who tested COVID-19 positive after returning from South Africa has been kept in isolation and his sample sent for genome sequencing.
