Kerala and Karnataka logs 10 new cases of Omicron variant

With the samples of four more Covid positive cases getting confirmed for Omicron variant on Monday, Kerala now has 15 such cases, said State Health Minister Veena George.

All the four have been under the close watch of the health authorities and were in quarantine. Hence, there was no reason to suspect a further spread, said the minister.

All the four new cases were in the state capital district, and of these three are from the same family.

All the 15 cases were reported to be stable.

Five more Omicron cases have been detected in Karnataka, which took the overall tally of infections caused by the new Covid-19 variant to 19, state Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Monday.

According to the Minister, the new cases were reported from Dharwad, Bhadravathi, Udupi and Mangaluru districts.

Even though the new patients are stable, the health department is on high alert as the new variant has been found among hostel students with no travel history.

So far, 49 samples have been sent for genomic sequencing tests and their reports are awaited.

According to the State Surveillance Unit Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare, a 54-year-old fully vaccinated male patient from Dharwad has tested positive for Omicron.

His travel history or contact with international travellers is being ascertained, health officials said.

His sample was collected on December 4 from DIMHANS in Dharwad after he positive for Covid the previous day.

He is currently healthy and is under home isolation. Four of his primary and 133 secondary contacts have been tracked and tested. Their results were negative.

Another 20-year-old Omicron positive woman's travel history and contact with international travellers is being ascertained. Her samples were collected on December 4 from a college in Shivamogga district's Bhadravathi town where she is living in a hostel, according to the health officials.

As many as 218 of her contacts have been tested and 27 of them were Covid positive. All samples have been sent for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

The authorities are also tracing travel or contact history of a 73-year-old man and an 82-year-old man who tested positive for the new variant. Their samples were collected from a private hospital in Udupi. At present they have no Covid-19 symptoms.

The youngest member of their family, aged 11 years, has also tested positive.

As many as 42 primary contacts and 293 secondary contacts of a 19-year-old Omicron positive college student from Mangaluru, has also been tested. His samples have also been sent for genome sequencing.

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