New Delhi: A day after two cases of Omicron variant was detected in the country, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday said the Central government was closely monitoring the situation and issuing suitable guidelines from time to time.
The Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa, has led to worldwide panic. Several countries have restricted travel from southern Africa and imposed other curbs amid reports that Omicron could spread even in vaccinated people.
The ministry issued answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, classified as Variant Of Concern, by the WHO on November 26.
How is India responding to Omicron?
Indian government is monitoring the situation closely and is issuing suitable guidelines from time to time. Meanwhile, the scientific and medical community is geared up for developing and deploying diagnostics, carrying out genomic surveillance, generating evidence about viral and epidemiologic characteristics, and development of therapeutics.
The ministry also downplayed concerns regarding the third wave of Covid-19 stating the severity of the disease is anticipated to be low given the fast pace of vaccination in the country and high exposure to delta variant as evidenced by high seropositivity.
Will there be a third Covid-19 wave?
Omicron cases are increasingly being reported from countries outside of South Africa and given its characteristics, it is likely to spread to more countries including India. However, the scale and magnitude of rise in cases and most importantly the severity of disease that will be caused is still not clear. Further, given the fast pace of vaccination in India and high exposure to delta variant as evidenced by high seropositivity, the severity of the disease is anticipated to be low. However, scientific evidence is still evolving.
The ministry stressed on taking all Covid-19 precautions and giving priority to both jabs.
What precautions should we take?
The precautions and steps to be taken remain same as before. It is essential to mask yourself properly, take both doses of vaccines (if not yet vaccinated), maintain social distancing and maintain good ventilation to the maximum possible.
The ministry appealed to all to get vaccinated at the earliest stating vaccines are expected to still offer protection against severe disease and vaccination with the available vaccines is crucial.
Will the existing vaccines work against Omicron?
While, there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on Omicron, some of the mutations reported on Spike gene may decrease the efficacy of existing vaccines. However, vaccine protection is also by antibodies as well as by cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved. Hence vaccines are expected to still offer protection against severe disease and, vaccination with the available vaccines is crucial. If eligible, but not vaccinated, one should get vaccinated.
The ministry said the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Omicron as a Variant of Concern (VoC) but added the “definitive evidence for increased remission and immune evasion is awaited”.
How concerned should we be about the new VoC?
WHO declares a variant as a VoC after assessment when there is increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; OR increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; OR decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics. (Source: WHO). It is important to highlight that Omicron has been declared VoC based on the observed mutations, their predicted features of increased transmission and immune evasion, and preliminary evidence of detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, such as increased reinfections. The definitive evidence for increased remission and immune evasion is awaited.
This comes as 11 countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Zimbabwe, China, Botswana, Zealand, Israel, Mauritius, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Singapore, have been categorised as ‘at risk’ nations.