Bengaluru, Jan 29: Genome sequencing analysis by the state has revealed that 67.5% of Covid-19 cases have been triggered by the Omicron variant and 26% by Delta strains.
Beginning January 1, a total of 1,853 samples were sequenced and, of these, 1,555 were found to be of variants of concern. While 1,115 samples carried the Omicron strain, 404 had Delta and 102 were of Eta, Beta, Kappa and Pango strains together.
This is in huge contrast to the second wave, during which the dominant strain was Delta (90. 7%).
The health department said that 5,659 samples were processed till December 2021 and, of these, 4,441 were that of variants of concern. A total 4,027 were of Delta and its sub-lineages.
Claims outnumber official deaths
Meanwhile, while official government figures put the number of Covid-19 fatalities in Mysuru district at 2,465 until Thursday (January 27), the government has received at least 1,300 claims outside this figure for ex gratia and is investigating these deaths.
The Centre had announced an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 per deceased individual, while the state government will pay an additional Rs 1 lakh per bereaved BPL family.
Officials admit that people who died after being discharged from hospitals, Covid Care Centres or those who passed away while in home isolation were not officially registered as Covid-19 deaths. These fatalities do not reflect in official data under cumulative deaths.
Initially, only infected people who died within 10 days of testing positive or while in hospital (for any number of days) were officially considered Covid deaths. However, following a Supreme Court directive, the parameter was changed to 30 days and the number of applications seeking compensation dramatically increased. Though these deaths are not included in official data, a special committee is reviewing them on a case-by-case basis.
BS Manjunatha Swamy, additional deputy commissioner, who heads the district committee to review Covid deaths, said, “The district administration has received about 1,300 claims from families that are outside the official tally. Of them, 1,069 claims have been cleared after verifying details like SRF ID, hospital details and death certificates. The applications were placed before the committee which includes the district health officer among others. ”
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