Two cases of Omicron variant detected in Karnataka confirms Health Ministry

The two infected are 66-year-old and 46-year old men the primary contacts and secondary contacts of both the Omicron cases have been traced and are being tested, the Union Health Ministry said.

ETHealthWorld

Updated On Dec 2, 2021 at 05:20 PM IST

New Delhi : The Union Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed that two case of the new coronavirus variant Omicron is detected in the country.

According to Union Health Minsitry the two Omicron variant was detected through INSACOG in Karnataka.

The two patients are foreigners aged 66 and 46, the Union Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal told a news briefing.

Omicron is the fifth WHO-designated variant of concern first identified in South Africa. The other four are Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. World Health Orgnisation (WHO) has said it is ''not yet clear'' if the newly-detected variant is more transmissible or causes more severe disease, but authorities across states in India ramped up efforts to deal with the evolving situation.