54 including health staff at RGGGH infected by one man

Revealing the challenges in containing the spread of COVID, 54 people, including 18 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, contracted the infection – a majority of them suspected to be Omicron cases – from a patient who was to undergo a surgery at the hospital.

Before he was taken for the scheduled procedure, the patient was tested as per protocol. After the result returned positive, 3,038 of his contacts were traced and tested since December 18, of whom 54 tested positive. Of these, 39 have S-gene drop, which indicates that they could have been infected by the Omicron variant, and their samples have been sent for whole genome sequencing, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday.

The positive cases include seven interns doing Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship, seven nursing students, two staff nurses, one PG medical student and one outsourced workers. All who tested positive are stable, added the Minister.

Subramanian was inspecting the facilities set up at the hospital where 2,050 beds, including 1,522 of them with oxygen facilities, and 550 ICU beds have been kept ready to deal with any surge in cases. He said actor Vadivelu and two of his contacts who tested positive were asymptomatic and were recovering well.

Meanwhile, 12 people, including 7 from Chennai, who had the Omicron variant were discharged after recovery.

Ahead of the 16th mega vaccination drive in the State on Sunday, the Minister said 94 lakh people in Tamil Nadu were due for the second dose. “It is important that these people get vaccinated as it is crucial to prevent Omicron. Currently, 85 per cent have received the first dose and more than 55 per cent have been fully vaccinated,” Subramanian said.