Omicron Detected in Karnataka! Dr K Sudhakar said, one sample is ‘different from the Delta variant’

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar today said the sample of one of the two people who arrived in Bengaluru recently from South Africa is ‘different from the Delta variant’. The minister said he was not supposed to say anything officially as he was still in touch with the union health ministry and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) officials.

“There is a delta variant for the past nine months only, but you are saying that one of the samples is Omicron. I cannot say about it officially. I am in touch with the ICMR and central government officials,” Dr Sudhakar said. The sample has been sent to ICMR, he said.

Refusing to divulge the identity of the man, the minister said his Covid report shows that he has contracted a different variant of the novel coronavirus. “There is a 63-year-old man whose name I should not disclose. His report is a bit different. It appears different from the delta variant. We will discuss with the ICMR officials and will let people know by the evening what it is,” the minister said.

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The minister said he would chair a marathon meeting on Tuesday with the officers of his department, from the Principal Secretary to the Primary Health Centre level doctors, regarding the steps to be taken. He added that the members of the Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19 have also been invited for the meeting.

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Mr Sudhakar also said that he has sought a detailed report on the Omicron variant. “We will get a clear information on December 1 about how the Omicron behaves after the genomic sequencing. Accordingly, we will initiate all measures,” he said.

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Stating that the new variant is visible in at least 12 nations, Dr Sudhakar said the international travellers will be tested carefully and those tested positive will be hospitalised compulsorily. “We are tracking and closely watching all those who came from South Africa in the past 14 days. We have started tracing and testing their primary and secondary contacts since Saturday,” the minister said.