Telangana detects two more new cases of Omicron, states tally reaches eight

Hyderabad: Two more cases of Omicron has been reported in Telangana on December 17. A total of nine imported cases has been reported at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. All these passengers are asymptomatic.

Out of total eight cases are in Telangana and one case came to Hyderabad and immediately took a domestic flight from Hyderabad to West Bengal. In around Hyderabad area, seven cases have been reported while United Kingdom returnee in Hanamkonda district has tested positive for the variant.

All these cases are imported, two from at-risk countries and the remaining seven from non-risk countries.

The state has tested 6,764 passengers who have come from the risk countries and two percent samples from passengers arriving from nonrisk countries since December 1.

In Telangana, three cases are from Kenya, two cases from Dubai, one case each from Sudan, Abu Dhabi, and the United Kingdom. The Hanamkonda patient tested negative at the airport and later in the city turns out to be positive after which the medical department sent her sample for genome sequencing. On Thursday evening her result came positive for the variant.

In Hyderabad, six of the positive patients are admitted in TIMS, Gachibowli while one Kenyan has not yet been traceable.

The Telangana Director of Public Health Dr. G Srinivasa Rao said that the variant is two to six-time more transmittable but the symptoms are mild. "As for now only one mortality has been reported in the UK because of omicron but in 90 percent cases it's asymptomatic. It can spread fast, so people should adhere to covid protocol by wearing masks, washing hands, and using sanitizer at regular intervals, etc.," said Dr. G Srinivasa Rao.