Mohali has not recorded any Omicron case so far. However, the health authorities have put vulnerable areas and clusters on alert. As many as 15 samples of people who tested positive for the virus were sent for variant testing. (Representational) Samples of five family contacts of a 20-year-old male resident of Italy, who arrived in Chandigarh on November 22 and tested positive for the Omicron variant, were sent for genome sequencing to NCDC, New Delhi. Two of the five samples were found to be positive for the variant.
One of the two positive cases is an 80-year-old male who is a patient with hypertension. He is asymptomatic and has been isolated in the hospital.
He tested positive again on December 24 and is scheduled for a re-test on January 1, 2022.
The second contact is a 45-year-old male who was reported RT-PCR negative on December 24 and has been discharged. The genome sequencing report of the remaining three contacts is pending but they all have tested negative in their RT-PCR retest. They have been discharged.
According to Dr Suman Singh, Director Health Services, UT, out of the five contacts, three are adults and fully vaccinated while the other two are below 18 years and not vaccinated. “We do not have sufficient data to predict the behaviour of the Omicron variant. So, we need to be extra cautious and need to observe Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. Mask up, wash hands frequently, maintain social distancing and avoid crowded places. And most importantly complete both doses of the vaccination. That is the only preventive measure we have. Both variants are still active and we need to be more careful as we cannot afford to be negligent and lose precious lives. Get tested as soon as any symptoms appear and if you have come in contact with a positive case, report to the Health Department immediately,” says Dr Singh.
Dr Rishi Nagpal from Fortis said that it is very important that at this stage of the pandemic all precautions are taken to prevent further spread of the disease. “With Omicron at the doorstep, any measures taken to prevent the spread is necessary. Getting both doses of the vaccination and masking up are important steps and crucial to contain Covid-19 in India,” he added.
No Omicron case in Mohali
Mohali has not recorded any Omicron case so far. However, the health authorities have put vulnerable areas and clusters on alert. As many as 15 samples of people who tested positive for the virus were sent for variant testing.
The Civil Surgeon, Dr Adarashpal Kaur, told The Indian Express that they were keeping an eye on clusters from where cases had been reported in the past few days.
“On Saturday, 15 positive cases were reported from BSF Complex in Lakhnaur. Now our teams are keeping a close watch on the area after so many cases were reported from a single area,” Dr Kaur added.
A health department officer said that they had sent cases for tracing of the new variant and had also identified clusters that reported more than one positive case in the past.
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