Will have to learn to live with COVID-19, its variants: Virologist Gagandeep Kang

“We will have to learn to live with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and its variants which will continue to emerge,” said top virologist Gagandeep Kang after India, on Friday, reported the highest single-day rise of 309 cases of the coronavirus’ latest variant ‘Omicron’.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in a statement, said that the nation saw the highest single-day rise of 309 cases of the Omicron variant, taking the country’s tally of coronavirus cases to 1,270. MoHFW, further added that it recorded 16,764 fresh COVID-19 cases and 220 more fatalities due to the viral disease.

“There will be many waves, time and again. But fortunately, Omicron seems comparatively less severe than other variants," said Kang, as per news agency ANI report.

Kang, earlier this month, had said that there is no reason to believe its biology would change in the Indian population because it is capable of re-infections, in an interview. Showing concern over the highly-transmissible Omicron variant in South Africa, the UK, Denmark and Netherlands, Kang had also added that such a scenario can be avoided with better ventilation and restrictions, education on mask-wearing and not though a lockdown.

She also suggested that a careful approach to additional vaccine doses and boosters for the vulnerable population. Kang said, on reports indicating that Omicron was not very severe, said that “We can pin our hopes on the fact that there’s lots of infection, but it’s not severe.”

Meanwhile, some official sources have also stated that Omicron has started replacing Delta variant in the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases and positive international travellers are almost 80 per cent Omicron now. However, a third of all the detected cases were mildly symptomatic, and the rest were asymptomatic, they said.

A total of 1,270 Omicron cases have been detected across 23 states and UTs so far, according to the MoHFW. Noting a considerable decline in Covid testing, the Centre had on Thursday urged 19 states/UTs to ramp up testing "in a big way" to identify the positive cases promptly and restrict the spread of transmission in view of the increased transmissibility of Omicron variant.

Ninety per cent of India's eligible adult population has been administered the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 64.40 per cent people are now fully vaccinated. Highlighting the vaccination coverage in other countries with highest cases and deaths, sources said the data shows vaccination reduces hospitalisation and death.

(With input from agencies)