Is there a chance for a third wave in india due to the formation of Omicron? The Ministry of Family Welfare and health has responded to various queries...
Govt answers questions on Omicron: The Central Ministry of Family and health has responded to ongoing concerns about the Omicron virus variant.
The Ministry of health has stated that the severity of the Omicron infection is expected to be low due to the high incidence of vaccine and delta variant being given in india fast.
Is there a chance for a third wave in india due to the formation of Omicron?
The Omicron variant is said to be spreading to various countries outside of South Africa. The Department of health has announced that the variant is likely to spread to india as well, given its characteristics.
However, it is noted that there is no clear data on the severity and spread of this infection. In india, the severity of the disease is expected to be low due to the rapid pace of vaccination and high exposure to delta variants. However, scientific evidence is still emerging.
Do existing vaccines work against Omicron?
Although there is no evidence that existing vaccines do not work at Omigran, the Ministry of health has stated that some mutations reported in the spike gene may reduce the effectiveness of existing vaccines.
However, vaccine protection is also by means of antibodies and cellular immunity, which is expected to provide relatively better protection from Omicron. Vaccines, therefore, provide protection against more serious diseases.
It is also important to get vaccinated with existing vaccines. The notice states that eligible people are required to pay if they have not been vaccinated.
How far should we worry about Omicron?
The Ministry of health said it was important to highlight the fact that Omicron has been declared as VoC based on the observed mutations, the predictive features of increased spread and immunosuppression, and the early evidence for a detrimental change in Govt-19 infections, such as increased recurrence.
The note also states that there is still no conclusive evidence on issues such as increased proliferation and escape from immune antibodies.
What precautionary measures has the Ministry of health recommended?
The Department of health has announced that it is essential to wear the mask properly, to take two doses of the vaccine if not yet vaccinated, to maintain social space, and to live in well-ventilated areas.
Is it possible to diagnose Omicron by the diagnostic methods currently in use?
The Ministry of health says RT-PCR tests can detect the presence of specific genes in the virus, such as Spike (S), Enveloped (E), and Nucleocapsid (N).
Yet the S genes in Omicron have undergone a major transformation. It has therefore been suggested that some primers may lead to conclusions indicating the absence of the S gene.
