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Close monitoring of Omicron cases in Rajasthan, which has reported 13 confirmed cases so far, showed no symptoms even in an elderly patient with co-morbidities. Of the 13, nine were discharged after their RTPCR tests were found to be Covid-19 negative. Except five below 18 years, the remaining eight are double-vaccinated.
According to Narottam Sharma, Chief Medical and Health Officer in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the situation does not seem to be at all worrying. Unlike in the first and the second wave when patients with co-morbidities, especially diabetes, were particularly affected, an elderly diabetic in Jaipur remained asymptomatic, far from showing any sign of severity of the disease.
“We had one 71-year-old diabetic who tested positive for Omicron. He was asymptomatic but still we kept him under intensive care because we have seen diabetics developing severity of Covid-19 disease in the past. We ensured that his sugar level was under control. We discharged him after he tested negative for the virus,” Narottam Sharma told BusinessLine .
No symptom
Sharma did not notice any symptom in any of the patients.
“Neither age nor co-morbidities was a factor. We monitored them closely till they tested negative. Nine patients have been discharged so far after testing negative. They were discharged in 5 days,” Sharma said.
Among the patients, one was 71, 3 were in the 40-50 age group and the rest were below 40.
Studying vaccine efficacy
Sharma said 90 per cent of the Omicron patients in Rajasthan were vaccinated with Covishield and rest with Covaxin. Scientific evidence is yet to emerge on the efficacy of the vaccines against this new variant of concern. Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief had said that they were studying the efficacy of both the vaccines.
“The National Institute of Virology (NIV)-ICMR, Pune, has collected blood samples of Omicron patients. The scientists are trying to grow the virus in the lab. After we culture the virus in the lab, we will be able to assess the efficacy of Covaxin and Covishield against Omicron,” Balram Bhargava, director-general, ICMR, said.
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