Omicron India: 2 cases of Omicron found in Karnataka, both with mild symptoms: 10 points

The two people who tested positive are foreign nationals who traveled to Bengaluru earlier this month – before the center’s strict new Omicron travel rules were enforced.

Both patients presented only mild symptoms. All secondary and tertiary contacts have been tracked and are being tested. The Department of Health said it would not disclose the identity of the patient to protect their privacy.

One of the samples (believed to be from a 66-year-old man who flew on Nov. 20) was initially tagged as the Delta variant before genome sequencing confirmed it to be the new strain.

Confirming India’s first Omicron cases, the Health Ministry also urged people to stay calm and urged people not to panic. Health Minister Lav Agarwal and Dr VK Paul, head of the country’s Covid task force, stressed the importance of adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviors and ensuring double vaccinations.

International airports across India have commenced an in-depth review and screening of all arrivals since yesterday morning. According to the center’s instructions, all passengers arriving from ‘at-risk’ countries (including European countries and South Africa, where the strain of Omicron was first detected) must undergo an RT-test PCR on arrival. The test result must be negative to leave the airport.

Passengers arriving from countries not on the ‘at risk’ list are being screened on a random sampling basis (about two per cent of each aircraft payload). They can leave the airport before the test results are released. However, all international visitors must fill out self-declaration forms to allow the government to track them in the event they (or a contact person) test positive.

This morning Maharashtra – the company that announced a stricter set of rules and invited the hub’s displeasure to do so – said four Covid cases had been reported among international passengers who landed in Mumbai. ahead of Omicron’s travel rules. Two of these passengers were from London, another from Mauritius and a fourth from South Africa.

Yesterday, Maharashtra and Delhi announced six Covid cases each among international arrivals, with Chandigarh reporting two more cases (including one close contact). All of these cases – yesterday and today – have been isolated and their samples are being tested to confirm the infectious strain.

The Omicron strain – designated a ‘variant of concern’ by WHO – is thought to have more than 50 mutations, including more than 30 on the mutant protein, which is the target of current vaccines and is the second that viruses use to unlock access to our body’s cells. Researchers are still determining if this is more lethal and whether current vaccines protect against it.

As of 26 November, the ‘at risk’ countries are in Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel. Of these, several European countries (including the UK, Germany, Spain and Belgium), South Africa, Israel and Hong Kong have confirmed Omicron cases, as well as Japan. The US today confirmed their Omicron Covid case.