Assam has reported first Omicron cases with three students of Dibrugarh University tested positive for the latest variant of Covid-19.
The three students of Dibrugarh University, who have came from South Africa, found Omicron positive after testing with the special kit recently developed by ICMR-RMRC, Lahowal, said an ICMR official.
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ICMR Dibrugarh has sent the samples for ‘Whole Genome Sequencing’ to Jorhat-based North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) as the institute is equipped with NGS facilities meant for Next Generation Sequencing for final testing to confirm that the samples are Omicron Positive.
“We carried out ‘Targeted Sequencing’ to reconfirm that the cases are Omicron Positive” ICMR-RMRC sources said.
All these three students are inmates of a hostel of the varsity and two of them are roommates.
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A source in Dibrugarh University said that the student, who came to the university after getting fellowships of the Indian Council for Cultural Relation, had violated the quarantine norms and came to the International affairs office.
“We have a separate International Hostel and around 22 international students are studying in this university,” said a university official.
The student has been kept in isolation at the Jokai Covid care centre. The COVID positive students belong to the Pharmaceutical Sciences department of the university.