Omicron cases in Chennai likely to see surge as more samples report S-gene drop
As part of the contact-tracing of the diabetic patient who tested positive for Omicron at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, 4,395 people were tested, of which 128 tested positive for COVID-19 and 93 of them reported the S-gene-drop, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said on Thursday.
Stating that Omicron cases are likely to increase in the coming days as more number of people continue to report the S-gene-drop, he clarified that none of these cases are severe and all the patients are recovering well. Radhakrishnan, along with Commissioner of
Chennai Corporation Gagandeep Singh Bedi inspected the 75-bed special ward for Omicron patients at the Omandurar Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital.
The Health Secretary also confirmed that the drugs required for the treatment of Omicron cases are adequately stocked and medications are working well for those who have been affected with the infection. “The lungs of the Omicron patient are not getting affected much but the higher transmissibility is a risk and we have increased the testing of samples, especially in Chennai,” he said.
Talking about the safety and control measures being undertaken to control the spread of infection, Bedi said testing has increased to about 25,000 samples on a daily basis. He also urged the public to get tested in case of any symptoms being reported.
“There are risks of infection being spread through those visiting hospitals and thus, attendants of those admitted in hospitals should also get tested. People should avoid crowding in marketplace and hostels in colleges and schools should follow safety procedures to prevent the spread of infection, “he said. Talking about the mega vaccination drive that is being organised on Sunday, he urged the public to get vaccinated so that infection can be prevented.
“We believe on the scientific basis R0 is 1.22 as per the available data... so the cases are now increasing, not shrinking. As the scenario emerges, we believe what we are witnessing could be part of the global rise in cases pushed by the Omicron variant... we are already aware that this variant is highly transmissible and that perhaps explains the speed with which it is rising in the world.
The daily rise in COVID cases crossed the 13,000 mark after around 49 days, with Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Agarwal stressed on the need for heightened vigil given the sharp increase in the infections being observed. Agarwal said eight districts in India are reporting more than 10 per cent COVID-19 weekly positivity, while 14 districts are reporting a weekly positivity between 5 per cent to 10 per cent. Maharashtra, West Bengal,Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat are emerging as states and UTs of concern on the basis of weekly cases and positivity, he said.