Last Updated on November 28, 2021 by The Health Master
New Delhi: Amid mounting concern over cases of the new variant of concern Omicron detected in some countries, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday said there is no need to panic and instead urged people to not delay their second dose of the COVID vaccine, while also ensuring preventive measures.
“The structural changes detected in the virus may not necessarily give rise to a functional change of concern. It may not necessarily be lethoval or result in a severe form of disease.
There is no such data, as of now. Of course, we have to wait and see,” says Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases, at ICMR.
According to Panda, the structural changes or mutations found in SARS-COV2 through genome sequencing in the lab are indicative but do not necessarily mean the new variant is highly transmissible. However, active vigilance and preventive measures are important, he said.
“There is no need to panic. We need to ramp up vaccinations immediately. If a larger proportion of people were covered with two doses of vaccine, that would be a great public health move. Besides, there is a need to strengthen genome sequencing among international travelers,” Panda said.
Underlining that even if the mutation is serious, the mode of transmission remains same and therefore, vaccination and other public health measures such as proper use of mask, avoiding mass gatherings and hand sanitisation are crucial to combat the situation.
The WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution on Friday assessed the new variant B.1.1.529, which was first reported to the UN health agency from South Africa on November 24.
“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa,” WHO said while designating Omicron as ‘VOC’.
Apart from South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana, Israel, and Belgium have reported COVID-19 cases due to Omicron.
Panda said the alarm has been raised because cases have been found in multiple countries though not all countries have reported many cases.
“International travellers need to be under surveillance because cases have entered other countries due to the movement of people globally. In many countries, the number of cases due to this mutation is small. Then, how can I say it is more transmissible. We are deliberating on it and time will only tell, ” he said.
While India has not yet reported any cases of COVID-19 due to the new mutant variant, this might be an opportunity to ramp up vaccination coverage and implement stringent public health measures to avoid any surge in cases.
Need to set up to regulate Blood Transfusion services in India:…
PLI scheme to benefit 55 Pharma Firms: Govt
Nitrite Poppers: Ingesting or inhaling can cause severe injury: USFDA
High Court restrains publishing Ads in a dispute on Chyawanprash
Pharma industry seeks single window clearance system at CDSCO
WHO 2021: Model List of Essential Medicines feature updated
NPPA will not intervene in complaints involving commercial interests
World’s biggest Vegetarian Capsules plant to come in India
2 lakh Pharmacies in India by next year: Biddano
Latest Notifications regarding Pharmaceuticals
For informative videos by The Health Master, click on the below YouTube icon:
For informative videos on Medical Store / Pharmacy, click on the below YouTube icon:
For informative videos on the news regarding Pharma / Medical Devices / Cosmetics / Homoeopathy etc., click on the below YouTube icon:
For informative videos on consumer awareness, click on the below YouTube icon:
