BHUBANESWAR: Odisha on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, reported the first cases of Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2. Two foreign returnees, who had tested positive for Covid-19 after their arrival in the State, were detected with the super mutant variant.
Both men, aged 41 and 43, had recently returned from Nigeria and Qatar to Jagatsinghpur district. Their samples were sequenced at Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) here. They have been kept in separate wards in two dedicated Covid hospitals.
One of the two patients is asymptomatic and the other had mild symptoms like cough, body pain and weakness. But no drop in oxygen level was recorded in both the patients. The Nigeria returnee was initially isolated at a hotel in Cuttack.
Director of Public Health Dr Niranjan Mishra said their condition is stable and they are being monitored. The swab samples of 21 persons, who had come in contact with them, tested negative. As many as 8,858 foreign returnees, including around 1,664 from countries at risk, have arrived in the State since November 21, and 12 of them have tested positive for Covid-19. Seven positive samples have been sequenced at ILS in two phases and two detected with Omicron variant, he said.
ILS Director Dr Ajay Parida said the two were part of three samples sequenced on Monday. Five more positive samples of foreign returnees are being sequenced and the result is awaited. Of the five returnees, four, including two from UK and two from Nigeria, are natives of Bhubaneswar. They have been isolated.
A team of health officials rushed to Kuruki village under Naugaon block in Jagatsinghpur after the Qatar returnee was detected with Omicron. He had landed here via New Delhi on December 15. The same day, he took a car to his native village with his relative.
“We have collected swab samples from 15 persons, including the car driver and the patient’s uncle, who accompanied him to the village besides his family members. Close contacts of the patient have been kept in isolation. There is no need to panic,” said medical superintendent of Naugaon CHC Dr Manas Mohapatra.
Meanwhile, the State government convened an emergency meeting of health officials following detection of Omicron variant. The Health department directed districts to remain vigilant on the returnees and trace those who have remained incommunicado after arrival.
Collectors have been asked to ensure RT-PCR tests of all foreign returnees on the eighth day of arrival and mandatory home isolation until their test reports come negative.
