Karnataka doctor with Omicron attended international medical conference: Reports

Since the symptoms surfaced only a day after the doctor attended the conference, the possibility that he might have contracted it before attending the conference remains there as symptoms take some time to be noticed.

One of the two confirmed Omicron cases in India is a 46-year-old doctor who has no foreign travel history. According to the information of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, his sample was sent for genome sequencing just by chance, as the CT value in his Covid test was 13, which indicates a very heavy viral load. Apart from tiredness, the doctor did not exhibit any other symptoms and is fine now, according to reports. As the government is now tracing the possible sources from where he might have been infected by the new variant, it has been found that the doctor had attended an international conference that was held between November 18 and November 20.

A poster at the residence of the 46-year-old doctor who was detected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19, in Bengaluru, says it is a restricted area. (PTI)

According to reports, the doctor attended the event on November 20, the last day. Just a day after, he complained of fever and body ache and got tested. If the doctor has contracted the Omicron variant from that international event, which was attended by many foreign delegates, then it is a cause of worry for the administration as the conference, in that case, may turn out to be a 'superspreader'.

But since the symptoms surfaced only a day after the doctor attended the conference, the possibility that he might have contracted it before attending the conference remains there as symptoms take some time to be noticed.

Reports said the doctor was on the hospital premises on November 19 and the last surgery he performed was on November 17. Since he is an anesthesiologist, he does not come in direct contact with the patients and the hospital authorities said the hospital premises is safe.

The 66-year-old South African national who is another Omicron case of India has left the country on November 27 with a negative Covid certificate that he got from a private testing facility. The Karnataka government has ordered a probe into the incident as chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said it is a bit doubtful that three days after being tested positive, he tested negative.