Health Information: Detection Of COVID-19 Variant ‘Omicron’

Ministry of Health released information on detection of the COVID-19 variant ‘Omicron’. The information states that the Ministry is continuously conducting “COVID-19 Molecular Disease Surveillance”, and releasing information on the detection of COVID-19 variant ‘Omicron’.

The laboratory samples of COVID-19 virus of the returnees, local clusters and suspected patients were sent to the National Health Laboratory on January 28 and the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was found in 72 laboratory samples. Among 72 cases were 48 residents from Tamu Township and 20 from Kalay Township from Sagaing Region while 3 were secondary contacts of the people from those areas and one suspected COVID-19 patient.

The patients have now been isolated and provided with medical treatment and those who have close contact with them now undergo strict quarantine and lab tests. Myanmar has so far reported 283 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases.