Tracking India's Omicron Variant Patient Zero — Karnataka Health Minister Shares Latest Update

Three primary and two secondary contacts of the Omicron positive patient have tested positive for covid-19. The patients have been isolated and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing.

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar (Photo Courtesy: ANI)

New Delhi: Three primary and two secondary contacts of the Omicron positive patient have tested positive for covid-19. The patients have been isolated and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing, said the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The BBMP released the details of the infected individuals who were identified as 66-year-old and 46-year-old males. The 46-year-old patient who is identified as a doctor had developed symptoms on November 22, and tested positive for Omicron after his samples were sent for genomic sequencing. 

From 13 primary and 205 secondary contacts, three primary and two secondary contacts tested positive for covid-19 between November 22 and 25. All the contacts have been isolated and their samples have been sent for genomic sequencing. Results for the same are awaited, informed the BBMP. 

“Three primary contacts and two secondary contacts of the 46-year-old male tested positive between 22nd and 25th November. All are isolated. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing, results are awaited,” said the statement by BBMP. 

“Out of his (doctor's) primary & secondary contact, 5 people tested positive for COVID-19. So a total of 6 people have been isolated, admitted to government hospitals. None of them showed any serious symptoms. All these people are fully vaccinated,” Minister K Sudhakar told ANI on Thursday. 

The 46-year-old patient was discharged on November 27.  The other patient, a traveler from South Africa was a 66-year-old, fully vaccinated male who tested positive on November 20. He was in isolation for a few days and left on November 27. All the 24 primary and 240 secondary contacts of the patient tested negative. 

"The person who has left for South Africa via Dubai had presented a negative certificate for the virus, from a private lab. His primary & secondary contacts (total 264) were found negative. So it means to say that his certificate may be true,” Sudhakar added. 

The first case of Omicron was reported from South Africa on November 25 and was declared as the “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on November 26. Several countries have now confirmed Omicron positive cases in the past week including the UK, the USA, Italy, Israel, and now India. While the WHO has warned about the higher number of mutations in the virus which make it more transmissible, the impact on vaccine efficacy is still awaited.