ISLAMABAD: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pakistan on Monday confirmed that a recently suspected sample from Karachi was indeed the ‘Omicron variant’ of SARS-CoV2.
Read more: Pakistan reports first ‘suspected case’ of Omicron variant in Karachi
“The NIH has been able to confirm (via whole genome sequencing) that a recently suspected sample from Karachi is indeed the ‘Omicron variant’ of SARS-CoV2,” said NIH Pakistan in a tweet.
The importance of getting vaccinated to protect from serious effects of existing and new variants is therefore highlighted. Please get yourself vaccinated according to guidelines issued by the NCOC.
— NIH Pakistan (@NIH_Pakistan) December 13, 2021
“This is the first confirmed case but continued surveillance of suspected samples is in place to identify the trends.”
According to the NIH, “The importance of getting vaccinated to protect from serious effects of existing and new variants is therefore highlighted. Please get yourself vaccinated according to guidelines issued by the NCOC.”
On December 9, Pakistan had reported its first “suspected” case of the new coronavirus variant Omicron in a woman, 57, in Karachi.
However, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had confirmed had said that a genomic study was being carried out for confirmation.
Read more: Omicron threat looms over Sindh, experts urge caution
“The genomic study of the coronavirus patient’s sample had not been conducted, but the way the virus is behaving, we suspect it is Omicron,” she had said in a video message on Twitter.
