Five more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease were reported in Karnataka on Monday, taking the total number of cases of the variant in the state to 19.
The newly infected include a 54-year-old male from Dharwad, a 20-year-old female from Shivamoga, an 82-year-old male from Udupi, a 73-year-old female from Udupi and a 19-year-old female from Mangaluru (19-year-old female), according to a tweet by Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar on Monday morning.
So far, cases of the new variants have been reported in Bengaluru, Belagavi, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Udupi and Shivamogga districts. Many among those infected are double vaccinated with no travel history. However, all have either mild symptoms or are asymptomatic.
In all five cases, authorities have not been able to identify travel or transmission history in the patients.
The cases from Udupi and Mangaluru were part of the clusters which were sent for genomic sequencing, which confirmed the presence of Omicron. In the Udupi cluster, an 11 year-old-boy from the family tested positive in the last week of November following which four primary contacts were tested of whom three turned Covid positive and their samples were sent for genomic sequencing, said officials of the health department.
The Dharwad woman who has been the first case of Omicron in the district tested positive for Covid-19 on December 5 and was treated in home isolation. She has been relieved from symptoms at present, as per the health department’s statement. She had four primary contacts and 133 secondary contacts who all underwent Covid testing and have tested negative.
The Shivamoga patient tested positive on December 6. Total 218 contacts have undergone testing of which 26 have been found positive for Covid-19. The sequencing results of these patients are awaited.
