Omicron B.1.1.529 has reported 23 cases in India. Maharashtra has 10 cases of which 7 are in Pune and three in Mumbai. Two cases in Karnataka, one case in Jamnagar, one case in Delhi and 9 cases in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The spread of Omicron has raised concern in healthcare workers as they have doubled their masks due to the high transmissibility of the virus. Healthcare workers are also appealing to the government that they have already completed six months of two doses of vaccine. They require booster doses for better immunity to protect them from the virus.
There are 25 crore people in India who have completed their six months after two doses of vaccine and are eligible for booster dose. These are the vulnerable people for Omicron reinfection. Healthcare workers, emergency workers like police personnel and senior citizens are the ones who have completed six months and need to be protected. Dr Kiran Madhala, head of the department of anesthesia of Government Medical College Nizamabad says, “Protection is required as Omicron is highly transmissible. Scientists are still evaluating the exact rate of transmission but it has already spread to 40 countries of the world. The virus is airborne and this means that it will soon replace the delta variant with Omicron which is worrying.”
The biggest challenge of Omicron is its ability to re-infect those who have already been infected and those who have been vaccinated. These two categories were supposedly protected due to natural immunity and derived immunity from the vaccine. But with Omicron leading to infections again, there is a worry that there will be more hospitalizations and that means pressure on the healthcare systems. Dr M S S Mukharjee, senior cardiologist at Medicover Hospitals says, “It is possible that Omicron is already in community transmission in India. There is very little known about its severity so far. Even if the variant is mild, it is not ideal to relax as we have to step up surveillance before it spreads all over.”
Which Country is the reason to Worry?
HONG KONG: Data in Hongkong shows that 93 percent of the samples tested positive for delta variant in the second week of November. Omicron confirmed cases in the country were detected on November 25th and by December 6th it has replaced 47 percent of the samples. This is a worrying trend. Presently in INDIA, 92 percent of samples are testing for delta variant and the emergence of Omicron has got healthcare workers on the edge as they are observing the trends around the world.