COVID-19: Maharashtra's 1st Omicron patient tests negative, 'perfectly fit' says official

In a slight relief to the ongoing concerns regarding the COVID-19 new variant, Maharashtra's Omicron patient has been discharged from the hospital after testing negative on Wednesday. The patient, a 33-year-old marine engineer who hails from Kalyan Dombivli municipal area, had arrived at the Delhi airport from South Africa via Dubai in the last week of November. The officials also informed that the man was not vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Municipal Corporation (KDMC) Dr Vijay Suryavanshi also added that the individual is 'perfectly all right now'.

"He was discharged as he tested negative for the infection. As per the standard protocol, his two RT-PCR tests were conducted and both came out negative. He is perfectly all right now and there are no symptoms," said the health official.

''Incidentally, it was his birthday today,'' the commissioner added.

Maharashtra's first COVID-19 variant Omicron case

On his arrival at the New Delhi airport, his RT-PCR test was conducted. By the time he landed in Mumbai, he was informed by the Delhi airport authorities that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The Maharashtra health authorities had then sent his swab samples for genome sequencing and the test report later confirmed that he was carrying the Omicron strain. The man had joined his duty on a private ship in April this year and was on high seas since then. 

Maharashtra Omicron situation

The state has so far reported 10 cases of the Omicron variant. Seven more people had tested positive on December 5 for the Omicron variant, the state public health department said. According to the Centre, the countries designated as ''at-risk'' are European countries, including the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

Centre instructs states to treat Omicron cases only in designated COVID facilities

After the cases of COVID new variant Omicron surge in India, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday wrote to states and union territories, stating that patients of the new variant have to be treated in designated COVID facilities with separate isolation areas. In a letter to states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "It has to be ensured that no cross-infection takes place and adequate precautions are taken by healthcare workers in these facilities to prevent transmission among other patients and healthcare workers."

(With PTI inputs)