Tamil Nadu's Health Minister Mentioned That Omicron Is Spreading Throughout The Community

The Omicron variant is spreading in the community, according to the Covid-19 cluster at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian, who added that the situation had altered since when only international travelers tested positive.

His comments came two days after it was announced that 39 persons at the RGGGH had tested positive for Covid, with their samples revealing an S-gene drop, a sign of the highly transmissible Omicron strain. Doctors and nurses are among the 39 persons who acquired the illness from a diabetic patient who had surgery at the facility. The patient had no prior travel experience.

Furthermore, a random sample collection in the state recently resulted in the discovery of three Omicron cases, the sources of which officials are still investigating. When the source of infection for numerous cases is unknown, it is referred to as community transmission.

A total of 97 cases of S-gene decrease have been reported in Tamil Nadu, with samples being sent to whole-genome sequencing labs in Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. They were still waiting for reports. The health minister added that Tamil Nadu has established a Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) lab, but it has yet to receive approval from the Union Health Ministry.

According to sources, Omicron cases will be verified faster if permission is obtained. Unfortunately, the Union Health Ministry only announces the results when Omicron patients have recovered and are being discharged from the hospital. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, 34 cases of Omicron have indeed been reported as of now. There are 17 active cases as of Monday.