Omicron detected in 29-year-old US returnee, had taken three doses of Pfizer vaccine, says BMC

Mumbai, Dec 18: A 29-year-old man who had returned from New York tested positive for Omicron variant here on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release. Notably, the man, who has no symptoms, had taken three doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, it added.

He tested positive for COVID-19 in a test conducted at the airport on November 9, after which his samples were sent for genome sequencing. Two of his high-risk contacts tested negative for coronavirus, the BMC said.

"The patient has been admitted to a hospital as a precautionary measure and he has no symptoms," the civic body said in a release.

This raised the tally of Omicron patients found in the country's financial capital to 15, including five who are from outside Mumbai. But 13 of these patients have already been discharged from hospitals.

In fact, none of the 15 Omicron patients found in the city so far has reported severe symptoms, the BMC said. The tally of Omicron patients in Maharashtra has reached 40.