Assam reports first Omicron cases, 3 varsity students test positive

Three students African students at Assam's Dibrugarh University tested positive for COVID-19. The samples of their swabs have been sent for whole-genome sequencing.

For whole-genome sequencing, the samples were transferred to the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) in Jorhat. A student of the M Com department from Comoros recently returned from his homeland and tested positive as per the Dibrugarh University International Affairs Executive Officer Arinjit Hazarika.

His two roommates in the international hostel, from Nigeria and Lesotho, tested positive for COVID-19 as well, and the trio was quarantined in the hostel, which houses 22 foreign students," he said.

The students from Comoros and Lesotho tested positive for Omicron in their kit, according to an ICMR source.

As of Monday, 42 lakh doses of the Covid vaccine were in stock throughout Assam districts, with an additional 24 lakh doses retained in the state vaccine depot in Guwahati for future usage.

With an aim to control the Covid spread in the state, the Assam government is gearing up to vaccinate the children from the next month. As per the calculations to date, 18.25 lakh teens aged 15 to 18 years old has entered the list of candidates ready to get vaccinated. According to health department authorities, about 80% of the children in Assam who require vaccinations are enrolled in conveniently accessible schools and institutions.

The most challenging duty for the authorities will be in the process of bringing dropouts for immunisation because their data may not be available with educational institutions. School campuses, in addition to the existing Covid vaccination centres, may be chosen for the new immunisation push for children. On Tuesday, the state health department will hold a video conference with the Center to finalise the policy for vaccinating children under the age of 18.

According to a senior health department official, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is readily available for use among youngsters in the state and will likely be the sole choice in the early stages.

"Covid vaccination will be administered to children using the same Covaxin doses as adults. The ZyCoV-D vaccine from Zydus Cadila has been licenced for use in children across the country, but it has not yet been made available in Assam. Health personnel in Assam, on the other hand, are equipped and trained to provide ZyCoV-D "according to official sources.

As of Monday, 42 lakh doses of the Covid vaccine were in stock throughout Assam districts, with an additional 24 lakh doses retained in the state vaccine depot in Guwahati for future usage. According to health board officials, covaxin, which is beneficial for vaccinating youngsters, accounts for 13.84 lakh of the total supply.