Omicron scare: WHO lauds India's COVID surveillance, vaccination drive

With the world pacing up preparations to combat the threat posed by the newly detected ‘highly mutated’ COVID variant Omicron, the World Health Organization’s representative to India exclusively told Republic on Tuesday that India had done very well in vaccinating its population & conducting screening, early detection of the variant.

Speaking of the B.1.1.529 variant, which is speculated to have higher transmissibility due to multiple mutations in its spike protein, the WHO’s representative to India Dr Roderico stressed upon preparing ourselves to combat any threat that prevails from the virus. He explained that even with a new variant (Omicron), the disease & precautions against it are the same.

We should take 'public health priority' actions: WHO official on Omicron Scare

Global health organization representative elucidated that the new variant, is “a mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 virus ( COVID causing virus) and not a new disease and it spreads the same way as the other variants.” Emphasising strengthening health care infrastructure, he added, “We should take public health priority actions and should also prepare our hospitals and strengthen community awareness against the spread of the virus.” Highlighting that people should continue to follow COVID precautionary norms to minimise the risk of the COVID spread, he said, “We should not let our guard down against COVID.”

WHO official lauds India’s surveillance against Omicron

Lauding India for fully vaccinating more than 50% population, Dr Roderico hailed the country’s efforts in containing the coronavirus spread. WHO’s representative to India said, “India has done very well in surveillance. India has done an amazing job of a billion doses in 10 months. These 2 doses of vaccines give protection.” “WHO is providing technical assistance to all the states and we are present in 23 states,” he added further. 

India's COVID scenario

This comes at a time when the country has already recorded 23 cases of Omicron, which was first detected in early November in South Africa. The state governments across the country have placed stringent measures on international passengers and have enhanced screening and testing. As of Tuesday, Maharashtra has detected 10 Omicron cases, Rajasthan has detected 9, Karnataka has 2, Gujarat and Delhi have detected one each.

The central government has issued stringent COVID guidelines and quarantine measures against the passengers arriving from the ‘at-risk countries,’ where the Omicron variant has spread into the community. The top health organization (WHO) has dubbed the new variant as ‘variant of concern’ and had said that further research is being conducted to understand the nature of the variant and vaccine’s efficiency to neutralise it.