Had Fever, Chills and Body Pain; Don't Panic But Take Precautions: Omicron-infected Bengaluru Doctor

One of the first two cases of Covid’s latest variant Omicron in India is a doctor from Bengaluru with no international travel history. Two weeks after he tested positive, he has fully recovered but continues to remain in institutional quarantine as per protocol.

“On the 21st of last month, I had a mild fever, chills and body pains. On the 22nd, I tested positive for both RAT test and RT-PCR. My whole family is in the hospital in institutional quarantine as per the government order,” the doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous, told CNN-News18. “I had no respiratory symptoms like cough, breathlessness, or drop in saturation levels.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), based on preliminary findings, the Omicron strain of Covid may pose an “increased risk of reinfection… as compared to other VOCs (variants of concern)” and it “may have a growth advantage”, which means it may be able to spread faster from one person to another.

The 46-year-old doctor’s wife is stable and the children are asymptomatic.

“Wear a mask, maintain social distance, frequently wash hands, and please get vaccinated. When you have symptoms, isolate yourself first and get tested. Get treated by a doctor accordingly. Avoid going to crowded places whenever possible,” he said, adding that the panic around the new variant did take an emotional toll on him and his family.

India’s first two cases of the Omicron variant were reported from Karnataka, the union ministry of health confirmed on December 2.

The doctor’s samples were sent for genome sequencing noting low CT values. He was under home isolation from November 22 to 24. On November 25, he was admitted to a hospital where he was treated and discharged after three days. He was admitted again after his results showed he was positive for the Omicron variant. He continues to be in quarantine even as five of his contacts tested positive for Covid-19, while genome sequencing results are awaited.

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