Junior doc with no int'l travel history tests Omicron positive

Kolkata: An intern from Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) who was found positive to Omicron variant has been the first victim in Bengal who was infected without having a history of traveling abroad.

This has raised a concern for the health department officials who have already taken various steps to check the spread of the new variant.

The junior doctor has been admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital and whose health condition was stated to be stable. Health department has started contact tracing more rigorously as the victim never went abroad.

The health officials are trying to ascertain how the junior doctor has been infected.

"On Friday night, we got the genome sequencing report of the intern. Three people who have come in contact with the doctor have been tracked. As he is a medical professional, he might have come in contact with some patients. We are trying to identify all of them who might come in contact with the victim," said Director of Health Services Dr Ajay Chakraborty.

The junior doctor had complained about fever, cough and cold a few days ago while being at the medical college hospital.

He tested positive for Covid following which he had gone to his native place in Nadia's Krishnanagar. Genome sequencing done on his sample and the report confirmed that he has Omicron variant in his body.

Apart from the junior doctor, a 27-year-old male also tested positive for Omicron on Friday. Omicron positive tally has therefore reached five in the state so far.

The first Omicron case of Bengal, a 7-year-old boy who had returned to Kolkata from Abu Dhabi via Hyderabad was found positive

for Omicron.

He however tested negative within 48 hours.

It may be mentioned here that the State Health department had decided to conduct S-gene target failure test, a primary screening method to find out the presence of Omicron variant in Covid infected patients.

It will give an idea to the health professionals if someone is Omicron positive even without genome sequencing.

A senior health official said there is a chance of new variants being transmitted to other patients as many people are coming from abroad.

It would be extremely beneficial if the Omicron positives are found within a short span of time and segregations can be done. It takes a couple of days to get a genome sequencing report of a sample.