9 Omicron Variant Patients In Jaipur Asymptomatic | Key Points

The nine people, who tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Rajasthan's Jaipur, were asymptomatic, Dr Narottam Sharma Chief Medical Health Officer, Jaipur said.

Jaipur: All the nine Omicron variant patients – four members of a family and their five acquaintances – in Rajasthan’s Jaipur were asymptomatic, Dr Narottam Sharma Chief Medical Health Officer, Jaipur said.

“All nine Omicron variant patients are asymptomatic. We are taking the matter seriously and are doing contact tracing and taking effective measures,” Dr Sharma was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier on Sunday, the state health department informed that a total of nine cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant have been reported in Rajasthan’s Jaipur. Of the nine cases, four members of a family, who recently returned from South Africa, and their five acquaintances tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Jaipur.

Samples of 34 people, including the family that came from South Africa and the people they came in contact with, were sent for genome sequencing and nine were found to be positive for Omicron, the health department said. The remaining 25 people tested negative.

What is Omicron variant of COVID-19

On November 26, the World Health Organisation (WHO) named the COVID-19 virus variant detected in South Africa and some other countries as Omicron. The WHO has classified the Omicron variant as a ‘Variant of Concern’.

Health experts have expressed possibilities that owing to the genetic modification in the virus, it may possess some specific characteristics.

While the transmissibility of infection seems to have increased because of the new variant, there is still not enough clarity on whether or not it will cause severe disease and whether it will evade immunity, the WHO said.

India’s Omicron tally at 23

India’s total tally of the Omicron variant cases jumped to 23 on Monday after two more cases of the new variant was reported in Mumbai, as per the report by the National Institute of Virology. The two patients in Mumbai, who tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19, were asymptomatic.

India reported first two cases of Omicron variant in Karnataka, followed by one in Gujarat’s Jamnagar and another in Maharashtra. On Sunday, seven more cases were reported in Maharashtra’s Pune district, while Rajasthan’s Jaipur confirmed nine cases of the Omicron variant. In Delhi, a man was found to be infected with the new variant and has been admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital.

(With inputs from Agencies)