Bengaluru: On November 22 that a doctor was tested positive for Covid-19 and later found infected with the Omicron variant.
It was the first local case without a travel history.
Omicron variant in a doctor’s swab sample was confirmed on December 2 through the order of genomes.
Although no omicron cluster that has been reported in Karnataka, someone should not be complacent, warn Dr.
V Ravi, Virology, and members of the Covid Technical Advisory Committee.
According to him, the next two weeks will be very important to pay attention to the spread of new variants and if there will be the spread of the community.
While the five contacts of the omicroninfection doctor were tested positive for Covid-19, no one was found carrying the Omicron variant.
“It all depends on how big the virus replicates to individuals.
Every individual responds differently to infection, depending on the immune status.
Also, there are too many variables involved.
The good thing is there is no deployment of the community,” Dr.
Ravi said.
According to Dr.
Jacob John, Retired Professor and Head of Clinical Virology and Microbiology in Christian Medical College, Vellore, although the variants are more contagious, not easy to find all infected, because many of them will not have symptoms.
“The speed carried out by the variant shows high infection efficiency.
In this case, family members may have been infected by the same variant, but the sequencing of the genome failed to detect it,” said Dr.
John.
Evidence of the absence of clusters in one interesting case, but that does not mean omicron less infection in India, he added.
UK Case Spike Concernspike in cases in the UK has led to worries among experts.
“The English experience shows that we cannot be satisfied and preventive measures must be taken.
All new infections in London are mostly Omicron, which is related to,” said Dr.
Ravi.
Cases can rise in February 2022, said Doctordr John said while the Delta variant was first seen in December 2020, there was a pause and cases soared towards the march-end.
“We don’t know why there is a pause and what the dynamics are.
I expect an increase in the number of omicron cases in February 2022.
One person may have a very low secondary infection.
But other people may have ten secondary infections and become super spreaders,” said Dr.
John.
He added that he anticipated an increase in infection in the next three months, but it would be a silent wave with infected people not showing many symptoms.
“The number of symptomatic cases increases to make a wave.
It is safe to assume there will be waves and take quick action to block the same as increasing immunity through vaccination.
I do not understand why the government is silent at the booster dose.
Policy paralysis cannot be explained,” said Dr.
John, emphasizing The need to take policy decisions and provide booster shots for all.