1st case of Omicron rings alarm bells in Warangal

Warangal: In an alarming development, the first case of Omicron, a new variant of coronavirus, was reported in Warangal on Friday.

According to District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr K Lalitha Devi, a 40-year-old woman, who returned from UK on December 2, was tested positive for the Omicron. The authorities, who shifted the patient to Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) for better treatment on Friday morning, were on a mission to collect the swab samples of all her contacts, including family members and relatives. All the primary contacts and those living in the same apartment have been kept under home isolation. It's learnt that there are about 26 people living in the same apartment.

According to authorities, 68 persons have come to Warangal from other countries since December 1. The medical officials are trying best to trace them to do RTPCR tests. So far, they have conducted RTPCR test to nearly 50 persons. While all of them tested negative, the 40-year-old woman from Hanumakonda was tested positive. After sending her samples to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) for genome sequencing, it was found that the woman was suffering from Omicron.

Meanwhile, the authorities are on high alert after the first case of Omicron variant surfaced in the city. According to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH) Superintendent Dr B Srinivas Rao, the hospital is well prepared to tackle the new variant of Covid-19. As of now, the MGMH has an adequate number of beds, oxygen facility and ventilators, Dr Rao said.