Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov.30: Patients who test positive for the novel Covid-19 variant Omicron will be treated at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital in the national capital. The hospital has been requested to set aside wards for people who need to be isolated and treated.
The Health Department has issued an order prohibiting the hospital from refusing admission to individuals infected with the new variety on any grounds.
“The Union Health Ministry had Sunday (November 28) issued new guidelines for international travellers for reporting of Omicron, which has been classified as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization (WHO),” the order read.
According to the guidelines, patients who test positive for Omicron must be isolated in a separate unit.
“Accordingly, Lok Nayak Hospital is hereby designated as the dedicated hospital which will treat the patients detected with the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. Lok Nayak Hospital will designate one or more separate wards (as per need) for isolating and treating such patients,” it added further.
According to the World Health Organization, the overall worldwide risk associated with the novel Covid Variant of Concern Omicron is quite high. Omicron is a highly divergent variety with a large number of mutations, including 26-32 in the spike, some of which are worrying and may be related with immune escape potential and increased transmissibility, according to the global health organisation. However, the global health organisation cautioned that there are still a lot of unknowns.
