Omicron Dominates Covid-19 Third Wave in Karnataka, Says Health Minister K Sudhakar
State Health Minister K Sudhakar clarified that both Omicron and the Delta strains have been reported in the third wave.

Omicron LIVE Updates: Hours after tweeting on Friday that the Delta variant dominated the COVID third wave in Karnataka, State Health Minister K Sudhakar clarified that it was both Omicron and the Delta strains. “Which strain is dominating which wave in Karnataka? As per the genome sequencing sample, the following are the dominant strains: Second wave: 90.7% Delta Third wave: 67.5% Omicron and 26% Delta,” the minister tweeted.
Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed public health preparedness to Covid-19 and national vaccination progress with 8 southern States/UTs. The Health Minister applauded synergy between Centre and States for Covid management and reiterated focus on the 5-fold strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccinate and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave its permission to Bharat Biotech for conducting trials of intranasal booster doses against Covid-19, reports said. According to news agency ANI, the trials will be held at nice different sites. The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company’s anti-Covid vaccine Covaxin was recently granted regular market approval for use in the adult population subject to certain conditions along with Serum Institute of India’s Covishield vaccine.
The Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found in 79 per cent of the samples from Delhi sequenced between January 1 and January 23, according to government data. The Delta variant, which drove the ferocious second wave of COVID-19 infections in April and May last year, was found in 13.70 per cent of the 2,503 samples sequenced during the period. The data showed that of the 863 samples sequenced between December 25 and December 31, around 50 per cent (433) carried Omicron, while 34 per cent (293) had the Delta variant.
Across India, Omicron accounted for 75 per cent of the total samples sequenced in January, according to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Delhi had reported the first case of Omicron on December 5 — a 37-year-old fully vaccinated man who had arrived from Tanzania.
According to experts, mild symptoms, faster recovery and fewer fatalities typified the Omicron-driven third wave of the pandemic in the country and fewer patients needed medical care in hospitals. Also, unlike the Delta-driven second wave, Covid has not been the primary reason for most of the deaths this time.
Meanwhile, ninety five per cent of India’s eligible adult population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine while 74 per cent are fully inoculated, the Union health ministry said on Thursday as the total vaccine doses administered has crossed 164.35 crore. Till 7 pm, 49,69,805 vaccine doses have been administered. As many as 1,03,04,847 precaution doses have been administered to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities.
Also 44281254 adolescents in the 15-18 years age group have been given the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late tonight. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the nation for the remarkable achievement.
In a tweet, he said that India has achieved the record of administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 95 per cent of its eligible population. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hard work of health workers and public participation, the country is continuously moving forward in this campaign, he said. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.
India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by Omicron variant of the virus.
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