Five more suspected to have Omicron in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI:  Five more people in Tamil Nadu have tested positive for Covid-19 with the ‘S’ gene drop, a marker for the Omicron variant, on Thursday. This takes the total number of people suspected to be infected with Omicron to 13 and includes a woman from Arani, who returned from Congo, and four persons linked to the case of the 47-year-old man who was confirmed as infected with Omicron on Wednesday.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, speaking at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said the Arani woman was isolated at the Tiruvannamalai GH. Later speaking to reporters at the Government Corona Hospital at King Institute, he said the 47-year-old man and one of his co-passengers, who tested positive with the ‘S’ gene drop, had travelled from Doha to Chennai on a Qatar flight, QR 530, on December 10. He urged passengers on that flight to get tested if they developed symptoms. 

He said the co-passenger had travelled to various places in the city, including a convention centre in Vettuvankeni.

“We have taken a list of all the places he visited and lifted samples. We have asked the National Institute of Virology in Pune to speed up genome sequencing of the samples,” he said, adding all the patients, isolated at the Government Corona Hospital, are stable. He interacted with the 47-year-old. 

Meanwhile, sources said the 47-year-old had come to Saligramam in Chennai for a funeral. At least 50 of his contacts have been traced, including six members of his family who had tested positive with ‘S’ gene drop. 

Radhakrishnan stressed face masks and vaccinations are important to protect oneself from Covid. TN has 40,024 oxygen beds, 27,705 non-oxygen beds and 8,679 ICU beds ready and occupancy is at less than 5 per cent. The next mega Covid vaccination camp is on Saturday..

Minister tests  positive

Minister for Information and Publicity MP Saminathan tested positive for Covid-19 recently, said Health Department sources.

His swab samples were taken after he reported suffering from tiredness for the last two days and was admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore on Wednesday afternoon, sources added. He is completely vaccinated and all those who came in contact with him are advised to remain in-home quarantine