4 Omicron cases in India: What their age, travel and vaccination history reveal
The four Omicron cases with their diverse age group and travel history do not offer any uniform pattern. However, all of them reported mild to no symptoms.
India now has four confirmed cases of Omicron variant while several samples have been sent for genome sequencing and the results are awaited. Out of the four cases, three have confirmed sources of how the infection was contracted as they came from "at-risk" countries. All the Omicron-infected individuals are males and there is no uniform age pattern -- two elderly, two middle-aged. One of the patients was not vaccinated as well. What has remained common in all these cases is that all of them have mild or no symptoms.
Karnataka
1. The first Omicron case of India was a 66-year-old South African national who has left India. His primary and secondary contacts have tested negative.
2. The SA national arrived at Bengaluru on November 20 and was tested at the airport.
3. As he tested positive, a government doctor visited him at the hospital where he was staying and advised him to remain in quarantine. His sample was again taken and sent for genome sequencing. By the time, the genome sequencing result came and it was confirmed that he was affected by the Omicron variant, he had left the country.
4. On November 23, he got tested again at a private testing facility where his result was negative. On November 27, he left for Dubai.
Karnataka doctor with Omicron attended international medical conference: Reports
5. The South African national was vaccinated. The Karnataka government has ordered a probe into the negative test report, which came within days after he tested positive.
2nd Omicron case in Karnataka
1. The 2nd Omicron case of India was also identified in Karnataka. A 46-year-old doctor with no international travel history tested positive for the variant.
2. The doctor, an anesthesiologist, reported mild symptoms on November 21 and he was tested. Since his report had a low CT value indicating a very high viral load, his sample was sent for genome sequencing and Omicron was confirmed.
3. The doctor was vaccinated against Covid in February and reports said his antibody levels were low. This was found out in an antibody test that the hospital where he works conducted.
4. Since he did not travel to any foreign country, it is not yet known from where he got infected by Omicron. According to reports, he attended an international medical conference on November 20 which was attended by many foreign delegates. But it might be possible that he had contracted the virus before attending the conference.
Gujarat
1. The third Omicron case of India is a 72-year-old man who arrived at Gujarat's Jamnagar from Zimbabwe.
2. He arrived on November 28 and tested positive for the new Omicron variant on December 2. He was fully vaccinated.
3. As far as the symptoms are concerned, the 72-year-old man had a sore throat and weakness.
4. The man has been living in Zimbabwe for many years and arrived in Gujarat to meet his father-in-law
Maharashtra
1. The man who has been found to be infected with the Omicron variant is a 33-year-old marine engineer.
2. He was not vaccinated as he was on the ship since April, a Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation official has said.
3. He remained on the ship till November end and when his shop arrived in South Africa, he was allowed to return to the country.
4. Now, he has been kept at a Covid centre in Kalyan for precaution. He got a mild fever on November 24.
5. According to civic officials, all those his contacts, primary and secondary, tested negative.
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