Big relief! No cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant reported in country so far: Mansukh Mandaviya

Omicron Cases in India: In a big relief, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said at the Rajya Sabha today that so far, no case of COVID-19 Omicron variant has been reported in India.

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News agency ANI has tweeted from its official Twitter handle, "No case of COVID19 variant #Omicron reported in India so far: Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour Source: Sansad TV."

No case of COVID19 variant #Omicron reported in India so far: Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour

Source: Sansad TV pic.twitter.com/89sFr7uij1

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2021

In related news, today, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhusan will hold a review meeting with the states on the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The newly identified COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529 or Omicron variant is causing an increase in coronavirus infections in South Africa.

#BreakingNews | #OmriconVariant का देश में अब तक कोई मामला नहीं : केंद्रीय स्वास्थ्य मंत्री ने संसद में दी जानकारी #Omicron #coronavirus #WinterHouse pic.twitter.com/CYxLexEnwz

— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) November 30, 2021

A PTI report last Thursday stated that the Centre has asked all states and union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where a new COVID-19 variant of serious public health implications has been reported.

According to an ANI report, on Monday Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to stay alert against the new coronavirus variant Omicron. The Prime Minister also chaired a meeting on Saturday to review public health preparedness and vaccination-related situation for COVID-19.

This new variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa. Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant. Several labs have indicated that for one widely used PCR test, one of the three target genes is not detected (called S gene dropout or S gene target failure) and this test can therefore be used as marker for this variant, pending sequencing confirmation. Using this approach, this variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.

Amidst the Omicron variant scare, India India recorded 6,990 new cases and 190 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). India has recorded the lowest number of coronavirus cases in 551 days.