Hyderabad: The first two new cases of Omicron- a new Covid-19 variant were registered in Telangana on Wednesday. The state health department confirmed that the two foreign nationals tested positive for Omicron.
The variant was first detected in a 24-year-old Kenyan woman and another 23-year-old man from Somalia. Both of them were residing in Tolichowki Hyderabad. Both of them arrived on December 12 and were screened for Covid as part of the procedure for arrivals in the state. Their samples, sent for genome sequencing, came out late on Tuesday night, stating the presence of Omicron.
The woman was rushed to Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences(TIMS). However, the 23-year-old passenger from Somalia is missing. The city police have been alerted and the search is on to trace the Omicron affected patient.
Meanwhile, a 7-year old boy from Bengal at Hyderabad Airport along with his family also tested positive for Omicron. "We have informed the health department of West Bengal to follow up," DH Srinivas Rao said.
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Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said, "the cases were detected among two per cent tests being conducted randomly on passengers arriving from non-risk countries. Genome sequencing revealed that both the passengers tested positive for Covid on arrival and their samples were sent for further testing,"
Rao said, none of the 5,396 passengers who arrived from at-risk countries have tested positive for Omicron. Eighteen of them had tested positive for Covid and their samples were sent for genome sequencing and the rest of the fifteen of them tested negative.
According to Dr Rao, "the local people of Telangana and Hyderabad have not been infected with Omicron anywhere. People need not worry but needs to stay vigilant even if they are vaccinated. People should follow Covid safety protocols. Omicron's properties are mild but they are rapidly expanding. Wearing masks is a must. The Omicron variant can be controlled by following Covid rules. Legal action against those who spread false news."
