With the Delta variant continuing to be the predominant strain in India, in the recently identified clusters, the government is likely to continue with the same strategy of following Covid-appropriate behaviour and ramping up vaccination.
According to Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, the treatment for Omicron infected symptomatic individuals remains the same and does not change from that for Delta, Alpha or the Beta variant. According to the government, infection due to the Omicron variant does not necessarily lead to severe symptomatic clinical disease.
Here are a few inferences from the analysis of Omicron cases made by experts:
1) Of the 358 cases of the Omicron variant reported in India so far, 183 were analysed and it was found that 87 of them were fully vaccinated with 3 having received booster doses.
2) As many as 121 had travel history to foreign countries, the government said on Friday.
3) Two were partially vaccinated, seven people were unvaccinated while 16 were ineligible to receive vaccine doses in the country’s national vaccination programme.
4) The vaccination status of 73 is still unknown, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.
5) Of the 183 cases, around 70 per cent were asymptomatic and 61 per cent were males
6) In 44 cases, the infected had come in contact with foreign travellers and information about 18 people were still not available.
7) In India, about a third of all the detected cases were mildly symptomatic and the rest were asymptomatic. Maharashtra has recorded the maximum of 88 cases of the Omicron variant followed by Delhi at 67, Telangana 38, Tamil Nadu 34, Karnataka 31 and Gujarat 30.
