First Omicron Death in India... 73-Year-Old Male with Diabetes and Hypertension Symptoms

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The first death case related to the Omicron variant has been reported in India, where COVID-19 cases are rapidly surging.

According to local media such as NDTV on the 5th (local time), the first death related to the Omicron variant in India was confirmed in the western state of Rajasthan.

The deceased was a 73-year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 15th of last month. He had been receiving inpatient treatment since then.

The man had chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension and passed away on the 31st of last month. It is known that he had no recent history of overseas travel.

As of this day, 2,135 cases of Omicron variant infections have been reported in India.

However, considering that genetic sequencing analysis to confirm Omicron variant infections is being conducted only on a limited basis, the actual number of Omicron infections is estimated to be much higher.

Dr. NK Arora, a vaccine expert, mentioned in a recent interview with local media that "In major cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata, about 75% of COVID-19 positive cases appear to be infected with the Omicron variant."

Experts believe that the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in India is causing the surge in COVID-19 cases.

The daily new confirmed cases, which had dropped to 5,326 on the 21st of last month, surged to 58,097 on this day, increasing more than tenfold in just half a month.

In particular, in New Delhi, the number of new confirmed cases was only 30 on the 14th of last month but skyrocketed to 5,481 as of the morning of this day.

The number of new confirmed cases in Mumbai also increased significantly to 10,860.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.