Karnataka’s dubious ‘first’: South African national detected with Omicron

While his departure has turned the trail cold for the Karnataka health authorities, what continues to be worrisome and unresolved is the mystery surrounding a second Omicron-positive case. The latter is reportedly an anaesthesia specialist doctor from Jayadeva Cardiology Hospital who had no foreign travel history but was notwithstanding infected with Covid-19.

Sources in the BBMP corridors told TheBengaluruLive that the Indian-origin South African national had visited Bengaluru on November 20 and was under 7 days’ quarantine after he tested Covid-19 positive. His genome sequencing has confirmed that he had symptoms of Omicron. The man subsequently left the country on November 27.

Breakthrough infection

The South African national is 66 years old and came to India via Dubai – he was already vaccinated with 2 doses. He travelled from South Africa on November 20 with a Covid-negative report and was tested and screened at the Bengaluru international airport. But he tested positive after checking into a city hotel.

A UPHC doctor visited the hotel for a physical triage and found the senior citizen asymptomatic, following which he was advised to self-isolate at the hotel.

On November 22, his test samples were collected and sent for genome sequencing through BBMP. Then, the next day on November 23, he took a self-test at a private lab consequent to which the test report was Covid-negative.

SA man’s contacts negative

The South African national had 24 primary contacts, all of whom are asymptomatic and have tested Covid-negative. On November 22 and 23, a UPHC team collected samples from 240 of his secondary contacts, all of whom have tested negative.

Subsequently, the man checked out from his hotel on November 27 at 00:12:34 hours and took a cab to the Bengaluru international airport, from where he emplaned for Dubai.

Doc’s source of infection unclear

According to a source, the second Omicron case, the 46-year-old doctor working in Jayadeva Cardiology Hospital, could have come in contact with a Covid-19 positive patient. The doctor was confirmed with Covid-19 on November 22 and later his genome sequencing showed that he was infected with the Omicron variant. He is said to be still feverish but out of danger.

Sources said that on November 21, the doctor developed symptoms of fever and body ache, and underwent an RT-PCR test at a hospital the next day, November 22, at around 10 am. He was declared Covid-positive at 4 pm the same day, November 22. Since the test showed low CT values, his samples were sent for genome sequeneing.

From November 22 to 24, the doctor was under home isolation, and on November 25 was admitted in a hospital. He was discharged after 3 days of treatment on November 27.