Hyderabad oncologist tests positive for Omicron, 4 new cases in Telangana
HYDERABAD: Local transmission for Omicron cases appears to have begun in Telangana with a corporate hospital oncologist testing positive for the variant. This will be the first known case of local transmission. Express had previously reported how the doctor was exposed to a patient from a “not at risk” country on December 16 and eventually turned positive two days later.
Health officials had isolated the doctor and sent his samples for genome sequencing. It is learnt from sources that labs ran the test six times, out of which the patient was positive for Omicron four times and Delta twice. One family member said that oncologist is also positive and others are in the process of being tested. Their condition is stable. Health staff of the area has begun contact tracing which may run into hundreds as he was treating several cancer patients.
Meanwhile, the number of Omicron cases in Telangana rose to 24 after four more patients tested positive for the variant. The State now stands third in the number of Omicron cases, behind Delhi and Maharashtra, which so far recorded 54 cases each. Four more tested positive for Covid-19 at RGIA, whose samples have been sent for genome sequencing.