Omicron-infected Bengaluru doctor bats for ramping up testing

The Omicron-infected Bengaluru doctor said that the virus might have mutated in the state itself and advocated for more testing.

“Maybe if we test more, we’ll get to know more. Henceforth, if we regularly test, definitely we can be more aware of this variant,” he said to reporters at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital on Saturday.

Also read: Bengaluru doctor infected with Omicron says he's 'fit enough to play badminton'

Putting speculation on his travel history to rest, the doctor, an anaesthetist at a government hospital, said he had travel history. “If I left the hospital (where he works), I went straight home. If I left home, I went straight to the hospital. That’s all. I used to avoid going outside as much as possible. Neither I have time to go out nor have the interest to during this (pandemic) time,” he said.

Source unknown

The doctor said that he was clueless about how he got infected with the Omicron variant. He added that even his friends and colleagues too were surprised, “They told me they are surprised that I got infected despite taking so much precaution. I have absolutely no travel history. I want to say this again: I don’t know from where I contracted Omicron,” he said.

His treating physician Dr Madhumathi R, Professor of Medicine at Bowring, said, “He had already taken monoclonal antibody therapy before coming to Bowring. If it is taken within five days of exposure it is definitely beneficial. Usually, we use the therapy for risk factors but professionals like doctors take it because they’re at more risk.

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Since he had taken the antibodies treatment, the progression of the disease in him is not severe. He came to our hospital only on the eighth day and the disease severity hasn’t progressed despite today being day 13.”

At med conference

The doctor made a surprising revelation about the much-hyped medical conference that he had attended on November 20, a day before he developed symptoms - that he was there only for an hour.

“On November 20, I went for a medical conference in a hotel but I was late. I reached the venue at 9.30 pm since I had to finish some work at home. By 10.30 pm I left. That’s just one hour. I don’t know how the incubation period can be just 24 hours: from Saturday to Sunday. Any virus takes three to four days to incubate after entering the body.

But this is a new variant and I don’t have much information,” he explained.

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