GUWAHATI, Dec 8: Amid fears of a new variant of coronavirus, eight doctors of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in southern Assam have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently undergoing treatment, sources said on Wednesday.
Among the infected include the hospital’s superintendent, Dr. Abhijit Swami and nodal officer of SMCH for COVID, Riturag Thakuria.
Initially, five doctors had tested positive for COVID-19, while SMCH on Wednesday morning confirmed that three more physicians of the hospital were infected.
Hospital sources said that the health condition of the infected physicians, some of whom are in home isolation, was being monitored.
The sources further said that their samples have been sent for genome sequencing which is a laboratory method used to determine the entire genetic makeup of a specific organism or cell type. The results are awaited.
On the other hand, four persons with a travel history to foreign countries have tested positive for the virus in the RT-PCR test at the SMCH.
According to reports, of the four persons that tested positive, three are residents of Karimganj district and have travel history to Saudi Arabia while one belongs to Cachar district with a travel history traced to Finland.
Their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics for genome sequencing.
It may be mentioned that SMCH had successfully managed to keep a significant number of patients and doctors safe amid the pandemic, till the latest infections.
However, with the eight doctors of SMCH testing positive since the past couple of days, is a cause for concern, especially considering the emergence of a new variant, Omicron, which has been declared as a “Variant of Concern” (VoC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
At least 23 persons have been infected with the new variant in India till Wednesday morning.
The first two cases of Omicron in India were detected in Karnataka on December 2. Cases have also been reported from Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.