First Omicron positive case reported in city; person stable

 

 

 

Nagpur city, on Sunday, reported the first case of Omicron, latest variant of the coronavirus. According to information, a 40-year-old resident of Dighori, Nagpur tested positive for the new variant of COVID-19. He was not vaccinated as he had tested positive for the coronavirus in the past. As per the guidelines, a person testing positive for COVID-19 should not take vaccine for three months to improve immunity to fight the coronavirus. The person had returned to the city from West Africa via Delhi on December 5 afternoon. He had departed from Burkina Faso, West Africa carrying an RTPCR negative report. He landed at Delhi and then took a flight for Nagpur where his sample was taken for RTPCR which came positive. As per protocol, he was admitted and isolated in a separate room of COVID ward at All India Institute of Medial Sciences (AIIMS).

 

Since he had come from West Africa, his swab was sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune by Nagpur Municipal Corporation. At Pune, the Whole Genome Sequencing of the samples was done that came positive for Omicron on Sunday. The person works in a private company in Nagpur and the company had sent him to Burkina Faso, West Africa for some work. He had tested positive for coronavirus in April. So, as per the guidelines, the vaccine could not be administered to him. In the last week of June he left for West Africa. While leaving, he had done his RTPCR test which came negative and he was allowed to board the flight. During his West Africa tour he had been to Ethiopia also where, too, he had tested negative for the coronavirus. While leaving for India he again had corona test which also came negative on the basis of which he was permitted to travel. He landed in Delhi, but he was detected corona positive after his RTPCR test that was conducted at Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. Though he was asymptomatic, as a precautionary measures his samples were sent to NIV, Pune. On Sunday his sample came positive for Omicron. According to Dr P P Joshi, Professor and Head, Department of Medicine, AIIMS, Nagpur, the person would be discharged only when his next RTPCR test comes negative. The sample will be tested on the 10th day. All measures have been taken and the people of Nagpur have no reason to panic, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B said. 

 

Actions to be taken regarding Omicron confirmed case

 

n Admit the person in isolation facility as per symptoms and provide treatment as per prevalent protocol n Conduct aggressive contact tracing n Refer positive samples of contacts for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) n Follow prevalent discharge policy. Discharge Omicron positive patient as per the current guidelines for severe cases. Total clinical recovery and negative RTPCR result on 10th day is a must 

 

Guidelines for international travel Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released revised travel guidelines as follows: n Passengers/travellers coming from countries at risk to follow additional measures, including post-arrival RTPCR test. Positive travellers isolated under separate facility and sample to be sent for genome sequencing. n If a person tests positive for Omicron, strict isolation is necessary and treatment protocol to be followed till the person tested negative. ) n International travellers tested negative to go for home quarantine for next 7 days and be retested on 8th day, and if tested negative again, then be allowed to self-monitor for next 7 days in home quarantine List of Countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing (Countries at-risk) countries in Europe, including The United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.