"Omicron in India: what threatens the jump in the incidence?

At the current rate of spread of the omicron, more than 50 percent of the Indian population could be infected with COVID-19 in the next six to eight weeks. . He urged not to lose vigilance, to intensify preventive measures and to prevent the overload of health care systems.

Today, the omicron option has caused a new wave of the pandemic, moving from west to east, which has already swept the entire Indian region. He came after the “delta”, with which all countries struggled until the end of 2021

India dominated by omicron
So far, the omicron strain has been reported in India and Central Asia. It is rapidly becoming the dominant variant in Western Asia and is currently expanding rapidly in India.

At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics predicts that more than 50 percent of the region's population will be infected with omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Vaccines are good protection against severe disease
According to him, data collected in recent weeks confirms that "omicron" is a highly transmissible variant, because the mutations it has allow it to more easily establish itself in human cells. According to a WHO representative, those who have previously been infected or vaccinated can also become infected with the omicron strain.

The burden on doctors
Due to the unprecedented scale of infections, there is now an increase in the number of hospitalizations with COVID-19, which is putting a huge strain on healthcare systems. In addition, the head of the WHO Regional Office is concerned about the implications of moving this option to the east, where vaccination rates are much lower than in the west.

Prevention measures
The head of the WHO bureau recommended increasing prevention measures: wearing high-quality masks, ventilating rooms, avoiding crowded places and ensuring access to vaccines, including providing doctors with booster doses. It is also important, he said, to intensify the information campaign regarding the need for the immediate isolation of those infected, since the virus spreads most during the days before and after the first symptoms appear. All those who have symptoms or test positive should inform the people they have been in contact with.

Countries should ensure that testing supplies are widely available and distributed free of charge at pharmacies and workplaces. With regard to schools, the head of the WHO regional office recalled that they play a huge role in ensuring the mental health of children, and therefore should be the last to close and the first to open.