Four more cases of the new variant omicron have been found in Maharashtra, of which two are from Osmanabad and one each from Mumbai and Buldhana. This takes the total number of omicron cases in the state to 32, out of which 25 patients have been discharged after testing negative RT-PCR.
Meanwhile, the sixth genome sequencing of the civilian-run Kasturba Gandhi Hospital showed that delta derivatives are more effective at delta variants. Of the 297 samples tested for genome sequencing, 62% had delta derivatives, 32% were found with delta variants, whereas only 2% of samples were found with omicron variants. In the fifth genome sequencing, out of 221 samples sequenced from Mumbai, 24 (11%) were infected with delta variants and 195 (89%) with delta derivatives.
Of the patients who were tested for genome sequencing, 103 (35%) were between 21 and 40 years old, followed by 41 (27 percent) in the age group of 41-60 and 68 (23 percent) between 61 and 80 years old. Were.
As per the state government report, the index patient from Osmanabad had a travel history to Sharjah. After Omicron tested positive, the Department of Public Health traced his close contacts, of whom one high-risk contact was also identified with Omicron infection. The patient from Mumbai had traveled to Ireland while one from Buldhana had returned from Dubai.
Samples for genome sequencing were taken in the first week of December from international fliers and close contacts.
Of Maharashtra’s 32 cases, 13 are from Mumbai, 10 from Pimpri Chinchwad, two from Pune Municipal Corporation and Osmanabad, and one each from Kalyan Dombivli, Nagpur, Latur, Buldhana and Vasai Virar.
With the gradual increase in the omicron cases, the BMC has alerted the ward officials, who have been asked to maintain vigil till January 15 with Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“People need to follow COVID-19 proper behaviour. They need to avoid crowded places and practice double masking,” said Dr Rahul Pandit, member of the National Covid-19 Task Force.
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