55 percent of 282 COVID patients in Mumbai test positive for Omicron

MUMBAI: As much as 55 per cent out of 282 samples of coronavirus patients from Mumbai, sent for genome sequencing, have tested positive for the Omicron variant, and 32 per cent with the Delta variant, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday.

This was the seventh batch of samples sent to a lab at the Kasturba Hospital of the BMC and the National Institute of Virology, Pune, a BMC release said.

Out of 282 samples, 156 (55 per cent) were found to be of Omicron variant, 89 (32 per cent) of Delta Derivative and 37 (13 per cent) of Delta variant.

Only one of these patients, a senior citizen infected with the Delta Derivative, died, the BMC said.

He also suffered from diabetes and hypertension and had taken only the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, it added.

Further, only 17 of these 282 patients needed hospitalization. Nine of the hospitalized patients had Omicron infection.

"None of these Omicron patients showed any symptoms. In addition, they did not need oxygen supply or admission to ICU," the release said.

Nevertheless, people should not let their guard down and should take precautions, the BMC added.

Of the 17 patients who were hospitalized, 10 had taken both the doses of vaccines, three had taken only one dose, while four had not taken even one dose.