On December 7, India recorded just 6,822 new COVID-19 cases and 200 deaths in 24 hours; Lowest one-day spike in 18 months. Active cases currently stand at 95,014, the lowest in 554 days. Yet, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, public health officials across the country are once again gearing up for the fight. Ever since cases of the new Covid variant, Omicron, were confirmed in India, both the Center and states have been taking steps to ensure that transmission remains as low as possible. No one wants a repetition of what happened when the delta version was left to spread uncontrollably. For example, in Shahdara, Delhi, a COVID care center reserved for Delhi Police personnel has been revived. Its 78 beds have been dusted and oxygen has been provided for 20 beds. A short distance away, the capital’s largest Kovid hospital, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Narayan Hospital, has also started taking stock of the condition of its beds and oxygen. “We don’t just want to take risks. With COVID, it is always better to be prepared. The surge can be sudden and unpredictable. Even as one works towards limiting the spread, the spread They should be ready when they happen,” says Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director, LNJP.
Omicron’s spread has been rapid. Since December 3, when two cases were first detected in Karnataka, the number has increased seven-fold to 23 in just four days, while Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi have reported cases. While states have ruled out a complete lockdown, they have implemented other measures to limit transmission (see New virus, New rules). In Karnataka, for example, only students with fully immunized parents would be allowed to attend classes offline. In Maharashtra, only those who are fully immunized can enter public places such as parks and public transport. Gujarat has extended the night curfew in eight cities and Rajasthan has made masks mandatory in public areas. States have also placed restrictions on the number of people in gatherings, and have issued guidelines for both domestic and foreign visitors. Microbiologist and virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang says, “One case of Omicron in Karnataka was already undetected as there was no travel history.” “We urgently need to understand how fast the diversity spreads, how severe its symptoms are, and how we can keep the public safe.”
RResearchers are concerned that the sheer number of mutations in Omicron’s spike protein (its protein binding receptor has eight more mutations than the delta strain alone, which causes India’s deadly second wave), may be more resistant to the vaccine or more resistant to COVID-19. naturally acquired immunity against Last week, a group of researchers in South Africa posted a preprint study that found the risk of reinfection was 2.4 times higher with Omicron compared to beta and delta. In India, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued a warning that there could be a third wave of COVID-19 in the country if necessary precautions are not taken. “While there is no need to panic from Omicron, it is important to wear a mask and practice social distancing. The use of masks has decreased with the decline in active cases. The public needs to go back to COVID-appropriate behaviour,” says Dr VK Paul, President, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).
Why It’s Important to Keep the Transmission of Omicrons Down
Initial reports of symptoms suggest that the disease caused by Omicron is mild. No death has been reported from this variant in the world so far. “It seems to primarily infect the upper respiratory tract and does not cause lower respiratory distress as the delta variant,” says Dr Ankita Baidya, infectious disease specialist at Manipal Hospital, Delhi. In Maharashtra, the state with the highest omicron tally (10), no identified case is currently on oxygen support. “We are mostly hearing reports of fatigue, cough and some mild fever. These symptoms can be treated with medication, rest and a light diet,” says Dr Rahul Pandit, director of critical care medicine and ICU at Fortis Mumbai and a member of the state’s COVID task force. He adds that unlike the second wave, the country now has the option of an antibody cocktail for people who are at high risk of developing serious illness. “What is important is that people get tested and come early for treatment. The chances of keeping the hospitalization rate low in the first few days of symptom onset are very high,” he added.
Difficult to spread with our new tools for prevention and treatment, the virus is, in a way, learning to live with us.
Dr K Srinath Reddy President, Public Health Foundation of India
However, even though the disease caused by Omicron is mild, experts insist that its transmission rate be kept low. “Every time a virus spreads, it gives a chance to mutate. Newer strains may possibly survive vaccines made against earlier strains. Therefore, it is important to keep transmission low,” says Dr Rakesh Mishra, director and director of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortia (INSACOG), the genetic stress monitoring body of the government and the Bangalore-based Tata Institute for Genetics. Society. Experts are also concerned about the new strain infecting senior citizens and people with comorbidities. “All coronaviruses have the potential to re-infect people. But if reinfections are mild, this is nothing to worry about. Concerns about the possible effects of Omicron on people who have not been vaccinated or who are at high risk of serious disease. At present, we do not know that,” says Dr. Kang. In India, on December 7, about 486 million adults, or nearly half of the country’s total adult population, were fully vaccinated. While the government insists that the priority right now is to vaccinate everyone, some experts, including experts at INSACOG, have begun recommending booster doses to reduce the effects of new strains such as Omicron.
How useful would a booster dose be?
“The new version of the coronavirus reportedly has over 30 mutations in the spike protein region and therefore has the potential to develop an immune-defense mechanism. As most target the spike protein, so many mutations in the spike protein region can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines,” says Dr Randeep Guleria, director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. But the jury is still out.
In South Africa, the government reported on 2 December that 74 percent of the 249 virus genomes sequenced in November were Omicron cases, suggesting that the variant may have already displaced the delta in the country. But the vaccination rate in South Africa is only 25 percent. According to experts, the data from South Africa is not sufficient to assess the effectiveness of existing vaccines on Omicron. In the coming weeks, the results of various neutralization studies will help scientists get a better idea of the extent to which Omicron can survive existing vaccines. In India, Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), says it is too early to comment on the efficacy of vaccines against the new strain. “Right now, we are taking apart the new version. It will then be cultured and tested in the laboratory to ascertain the efficacy of the vaccine against it,” he says.
There remains some speculation that covaccin, which does not use the spike protein of COVID to prime the body for infection (the part of the virus that sees the most changes in oomicrons), may help prevent severe disease from the new strain. will be effective. “What is most important right now is to ensure that all eligible people are fully vaccinated against COVID,” says Dr Paul. At present, the government has refused to give a booster dose. However, some experts believe that a third dose should be given to senior citizens for added protection. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) report ‘Elderly in India 2021’, India’s elderly population currently stands at 138 million. Doctors say that if even half of this number were infected with severe Kovid, then it would be difficult to manage the existing health infrastructure of the country. Additionally, the most effective treatment right now, the antibody cocktail, costs Rs 60,000 and is out of reach for most Indians. “Vulnerable people should be given boosters on priority basis. Two or three doses should be given priority to the elderly immediately,” says Dr.
Is Omicron a sign of covid endemic?
Experts say the way it’s mutating is an early sign that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is adapting itself to new conditions — that is, vaccine-induced or naturally acquired immunity and wearing a mask. is for the people. “Covid is finding it difficult to spread like never before as we have new tools for both prevention and treatment. So, in a way, it is learning to live with us by becoming more infectious to ensure its continued existence,” says Dr K Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).
Interestingly, a pre-print study by nFerence, a firm that analyzes biomedical information, found that Omicron picked up genetic material from the common cold virus. There is speculation that this marker may be one of the reasons for the increased virulence of the new strain. “Eventually another infective strain will replace the older strains, which are no longer able to survive because of our new preventive techniques,” says Dr Mishra. Thus, experts say the best-case scenario is that the omicron could signal a shift towards a new covid – one that is more contagious but no more harmful than a common cold. People will still get this disease but it will not be fatal. However, the new strain has not yet infected various populations and doctors say it is too early to say for sure whether Omicron causes serious illness. Until enough data is collected and analyzed, the best plan is to be prepared and exercise common sense precautions.
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