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Omicron is not common cold and it is a misconception that is spreading, the Indian government's top Covid1-19 adviser V.K. Paul said on Wednesday, a day after the country's top epidemiologist called Omicron infections as mild as a cold and said everybody would likely catch it.
"Omicron is not common cold. We are seeing this misconception spreading; it's our responsibility to slow it down. Let's mask up and get vaccinated, whoever is due," said Dr Paul, who heads the Covid Task Force. "It's a fact that vaccines are helpful to an extent. Vaccination is a critical pillar of our Covid response."
On Tuesday, Mr Jayaprakash Muliyil, a top epidemiologist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), argued that rules to tackle the pandemic needed a complete relook as Omicron was a far milder variant than Delta and not frightening.
"The consequence of a viral infection now is just like a cold. We have to recognise that we have been chasing a particular kind of objective so far," said Dr Muliyil, epidemiologist and chairperson, Scientific Advisory Committee at ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology.
When it was pointed out that Omicron symptoms are far more severe and the demand for oxygen beds had increased since the new variant started racing through the population in India, he said that the infection was almost unstoppable and highly infectious, but a "majority will not know they are infected".
"It is so much more infectious than Delta, but the consequences are different. Fewer will be hospitalised. It is not a frightening disease anymore. Omicron is a disease you can deal with. A change of mindset is needed. How long can we have fear looming over us?" said Dr Muliyil.
India is seeing a surge in Covid cases across the states. The Times of India reported that on Wednesday, in the biggest single-day increase in cases since the beginning of the pandemic, India reported nearly 250,000 fresh infections.
It was 50,000 higher than the previous day's count even as the tally went past the 200,000 mark for the first time since May 26 last year.
The day also saw 203 deaths (excluding Tripura), with the daily toll crossing the 200 mark for the first time since Oct 27 last year.
Among the major cities, Kolkata's positivity rate is a staggering 60 per cent, Mumbai's 27 per cent and Delhi and Chennai are at 23 per cent. "Clearly, the Omicron variant is dominating right now," said Dr Paul as he urged people to take the variant seriously and warned it could badly hit healthcare systems.
The World Health Organisation too confirmed on Wednesday that Omicron is dangerous, especially for those who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
"While Omicron causes less severe disease than Delta, it remains a dangerous virus, particularly for those who are unvaccinated," said its chief Tedros Ghebreyesus.
A booster shot of the India-developed Covaxin, administered six months after getting two doses of the vaccine, has been found to successfully neutralise the Omicron and Delta variants, a study conducted at Emory University in the United States has revealed.
Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, said the study, which was conducted using a live virus neutralisation assay, showed the booster dose generated robust antibodies against both Omicron and Delta.
Indo-Asian News Service
"Omicron is not common cold. We are seeing this misconception spreading; it's our responsibility to slow it down."
- Covid-19 adviser V.K. Paul