Amidst the virus that has engulfed the World for about two years now, the latest variant Omicron is spreading rapidly across the country. Although there is not much information on the virus itself, the Government will report on the efficacy of our vaccines against it in a week.
The number of patients suffering from the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus has officially crossed 200 with most patients from Delhi and Maharashtra with 54 patients each as of now. Delhi has been severely hit by the virus in the second wave. Millions of people have died from the Coronavirus across the World and it still continues to gripple humanity.
80% of the Omicron cases in India are so far asymptomatic and 13% are mild cases, said the Health Minister. He also stated that the Government has taken steps keeping in mind the last two years of the pandemic. The Government has activated 38 labs across the country to carry out the genome sequencing of the Coronavirus. Three vaccines were approved by the Indian Government- Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik, two more indigenous vaccines are in the line to get approval in order to deal with the new variant. Around 58% of the population has been vaccinated once and more than 85% has been administered the vaccine twice. But the vaccines so far have failed to reassure the people or the scientists.
The Omicron variant which was first discovered in South Africa might just be deadlier than the delta variant. The variant is not that effective against the vaccines which were registered in more than half of the Indian population. The lack of data on the new variant has led to more fear and uncertainty in the course of action the Government should take. For now, the vaccination protocol is the same as the Delta variant. The virus which has taken over more than 90 countries is spreading faster than ever, even though presented with mild symptoms, the effects are mostly unknown.
While the Government has repeatedly assured its citizens that it is better equipped to deal with the virus that squandered the Nation’s healthcare system last year. It is still advised that people should be precautious of their surroundings and wear a mask at all times when outside.
Even people who are fully vaccinated should not behave carelessly. With the festivities around the corner, it is important to not take part in large gatherings to stop the spread of the deadly virus.