COVID-19: Six more international fliers test positive in Indore amid Omicron scare

Six more international travellers tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Those who tested positive had their samples sent for genomic sequencing. Dr Bhure Singh Setia, the Chief Medical Health Officer of Indore, told ANI on Monday that six additional overseas travellers tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in the city, bringing the total number of such foreign returnees in the city to 12 since December 1.

Two passengers were from Tanzania, two from the United States, one from the United Arab Emirates, and one from Ghana, according to Setia. All of these international returnees are being cared for. Prior to this, six international travellers had tested positive, with two children from Nigeria having been released after recovery, he said. The samples of the 12 passengers were sent to a testing lab in Delhi for genome sequencing, but the results have yet to be received, according to Setia.

Two potential Omicron cases in Dehradun

According to R Rajesh Kumar, District Magistrate, Dehradun, two people in Dehradun are suspected of being infected with the COVID-19 form of Omicron after seeing a relative in Delhi who has tested positive for the virus's Omicron variant. After visiting their Omicron positive relatives in Delhi with a travel history to Qatar, a COVID-positive couple in Dehradun is suspected of being Omicron positive, according to Kumar. The suspected patients' samples were sent for genome sequencing to confirm the existence of the Omicron variant. A micro-containment zone has been established in the couple's apartment. Samples have also been sent for genome sequencing, with results expected soon, he added.

WHO says Omicron spreads faster than other variants

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, stated on Monday that research shows Omicron spreads quicker than other coronavirus types. According to Tedros, who spoke to Sputnik on Monday, Omicron spreads quicker than other coronavirus variants and infects vaccinated and recovered patients. The UN health chief's remarks come amid news that the new variant's infection counts are doubling every three days. In nations with verified community transmission, the new coronavirus variant is spreading faster than the Delta strain, with the number of cases doubling in 1.5 to 3 days, according to WHO. The UN body went on to say that there is still a lack of information on the clinical severity of Omicron. More data is needed to better understand the severity profile and how vaccination and pre-existing immunity affect the severity, according to the study.

With inputs from ANI 

Image: AP/SHUTTERSTOCK