India Reports 1st Death by Omicron

India announced the first death linked to the latest emerging COVID-19 variant, Omicron, in the Rajasthan region, RT reported on Wednesday.

The case was a 73-year-old man, and he stayed in the hospital since December 15 after contracting the virus. Ten days later, the medical examination identified his infection with the recent mutation.

The country announced that it detected the earliest two cases with the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the country last December.

The health authorities reported that two men from South Karnataka carried the virus during their trip overseas without mentioning their departure point to India.

Medical sources also added that all people who were in direct connection with the two cases were selected and are under observation.

The new Omicron version, which was initially discovered in South Africa, has heightened global anxieties because it is thought to be more deadly than the delta variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as a ‘variant of concern’ on Friday.

The new South African strain has been designated as a source of concern by the WHO because it has a high number of mutations (32). This potentially makes it more transmissible and deadly.

WHO has given it the name “Omicron,” which is the Greek alphabet’s 15th letter.

Following news of the new variant, the US, the EU, Canada, Israel, Australia, and other countries have imposed travel restrictions on many southern African countries due to health concerns.