Karnataka reports 12 fresh Omicron cases; state tally at 31

Karnataka reported 12 new cases of Omicron on Thursday that took the state's tally to 31.

While Mangaluru reported its first Omicron case with international travel history (that was so far beset with six cases of local transmission, all recovered), Mysuru reported the state's youngest Omicron patient aged nine years, who is a returnee from Switzerland.

Bengaluru, which had just one Omicron patient waiting to be discharged from the hospital on Friday, saw 10 new cases.

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The Mangaluru Omicron patient, a 27-year-old Indian male traveller from Ghana who went to Dubai on December 15 with a negative report, is from Bengaluru.

He landed at the Mangalore International Airport from Dubai on December 16. Though he was vaccinated with a dose of the Moderna vaccine less than a month ago on November 19 before his arrival, he tested positive on the day of his arrival on December 16.

His genomic sequencing results were received on December 22, a day before the state made it public on Thursday.

Dakshina Kannada district surveillance officer Dr Jagadeesha said he was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to the district Wenlock hospital on the same day. The patient is asymptomatic and his vitals are stable.

Twenty-six of his primary contacts were identified, out of whom 17 are from Dakshina Kannada, five from Udupi, one from Shivamogga, one from Chikkamagaluru, one from Uttara Kannada, and one from Mysuru. All 17 cases from Dakshina Kannada have been identified and have tested negative.

Another 31-year-old Omicron patient in Bengaluru arrived from the UK with a negative report on December 17. As soon as he tested positive at the city's airport, he was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring hospital.

Later, on his request, he was shifted to a private hospital the same day. The patient is asymptomatic and his vitals are stable. He has six primary contacts.

Another 42-year-old Omicron patient from Kerala arrived from the UK on December 17. As soon as he tested positive at the city's airport, he was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital. Later, on his request, he was shifted to a private hospital on the same day. The patient is asymptomatic and his vitals are stable. He has six primary contacts. Surprisingly, he had taken a third dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on December 11.

A 21-year-old Indian man travelled from the UK on December 17. Fully vaccinated, he was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital as soon as he tested positive on arrival on the same day. He is currently isolated at a private hospital in Kerala. The patient is asymptomatic and his vitals are stable. He has six primary contacts.

A 49-year-old Indian woman travelled from Denmark on December 17. A city woman, she tested positive on arrival. She had been vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer and had also received a booster shot of Moderna.

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She was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital on the same day and further on request shifted to a private hospital. The patient is asymptomatic and her vitals are stable. She has six primary contacts.

An 11-year-old young girl had travelled from the UK on December 18. She is unvaccinated as there are no Covid vaccines available for her age group in India yet. She tested positive on arrival and was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital on the same day and further on request shifted to a private hospital.

The patient is asymptomatic and her vitals are stable. She has six primary contacts.

A 59-year-old Indian woman travelled from Nigeria on December 17. Her sample was collected and her positive result was declared the following day on December 18. Fully vaccinated, she was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital on the same day and further on request shifted to a private hospital.

The patient is asymptomatic and her vitals are stable. She has six primary contacts.

The youngest Omicron patient to be declared in the state so far, a nine-year-old Indian girl travelled from Switzerland via Abu Dhabi on December 19. A Mysurean, her sample was collected at the Bengaluru International Airport on arrival. She tested positive on the same day and was unvaccinated as paediatric vaccines are not available for children in India. She was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring Hospital on the same day. She is currently under isolation in Mysuru. The patient is asymptomatic and her vitals are stable. She has six primary contacts.

Mysuru District Health Officer Dr KH Prasad told DH, "She has been isolated with her parents though they're Covid negative. We cannot keep her alone here. She will be kept here till December 29 for observation and then tested as per protocol. Her six contacts include her parents, sibling, grandmother and household who are all Covid negative. Surprisingly though her parents accompanied her from Switzerland she is the only one who has tested Covid positive."

Another three Bengaluru Omicron patients (a 20-year-old younger sister, a 56-year-old father, and a 54-year-old mother) are contacts of a 26-year-old UK returnee, their daughter. The 26-year-old's genomic sequencing results are still being processed and haven't officially been declared as Omicron, said a BBMP official.

An 18-year-old young city woman travelled from the UK on December 17. She had been partially vaccinated with Covishield on September 6. She tested positive on arrival and was shifted in an ambulance from the airport to Bowring hospital on the same day. She was shifted to a private hospital on her request. The patient is asymptomatic and her vitals are stable. She has six primary contacts.

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