A 29-year-old man from Bommanahalli has been found to have contracted the Delta Plus variant of the novel coronavirus, the BBMP revealed on Thursday. He is the fourth Covid patient in Karnataka to have this variant, officially called B.1.617.2.1, or AY.1.
The patient had symptoms of fever and was declared Covid-positive on July 14. But his genomic sequencing results were conveyed to civic officials only on August 5. He has already been discharged from hospital and is presently at home, said BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) D Randeep.
The patient was found to have seven primary and 14 secondary contacts, none of whom has tested positive for Covid. As per the protocol, the contacts are tested on Day 0 and Day 7 of their exposure to a Covid patient.
When asked whether the patient had any travel history, domestic or international, Randeep said a BBMP team would be sent to his home on Friday and it would ascertain the source of infection.
“Since this is an older case, the record is likely to be available with us once we identify the patient by name and the BU (Bengaluru Urban) number,” the official told DH.
The two previous cases of Delta Plus variant in Bengaluru — an 86-year-old man and his 57-year-old son, both living in Nandini Layout — had recovered and were out of hospital by the time the BBMP got their genomic sequencing results. Both of them are presently at home, Randeep said.
Karnataka’s first case of Delta Plus variant was reported from the Mysuru district.
The state genomic sequencing committee has repeatedly asked for ramping up genomic sequencing in Karnataka so that an appropriate public health response is mounted at the right time before the variant spreads in the community.
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