Bhubaneswar, Jan 06: Odisha reported the first Omicron death of a 45-year-old woman from Dunguripali village under Agalpur block in Bolangir district.
The woman identified as Nirmala Nayak was admitted to Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Bolangir following chest pain on December 22.
She was later shifted to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (VSSIMSR) at Burla on December 23 where she was tested covid positive.
The woman, hospital sources said, died of cardiac arrest on December 27.
Official sources said the covid sample of the woman was sent to the Institute of Life Science (ILS) Bhubaneswar for genome sequencing and by the time it was known that she was infected with the Omicron variant of the Covid 19, the patient had succumbed and her last right was performed in the village.
The Bolangir Chief District Medical Officer said a team has been deputed to Dunguripali village to conduct the contact tracing and RT-PCR tests of all those persons who have come in contact with the woman.
She, however, said it was not known whether the woman died of Omicron or cardiac arrest as the death was reported by the Medical college authority much before the Omicron test was confirmed.
Panic gripped the Dunguripali village and the surrounding areas in Bolangir as the news of the first Omicron death was telecast on local TV channels on Thursday.
In the village, the body of the deceased woman was cremated, and several local villagers took part in it. This has caused panic among the villagers.
