The detection of the first case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh, in a patient from Vizianagaram district, is causing concern among the people of Visakhapatnam as also those from North Andhra districts. The 34-year-old man has travelled from Ireland to India through Mumbai and Vizag airports.
The patient is in home isolation at his relative’s house at Madhurawada, on the outskirts of the city. “There is no cause for panic as all his contacts have tested negative,” District Medical and Health Officer (DM & HO) S. Tirupathi Rao said.
Andhra Medical College Principal P.V. Sudhakar says though there is no cause for panic as Omicron is causing only mild infections, the worrying factor is its rapid spread. The doctors are unanimous in their call for 100% vaccination to minimise the risk of serious infection. They also emphasise the need to be vigilant and adhere to all COVID-19 protocols to check the spread of Omicron. Doctors from India and the USA, who participated in the 100th webinar on COVID-19, organised by Andhra Medical College (AMC) on Sunday, expressed the view that though Omicron seems to be spreading rapidly, its virulence was comparatively much lower than the Delta variant and the incidence of death due to Omicron is rare.
“Omicron is causing mild infections but the virus is able to escape immunity. Vaccination plays an important role in reducing the severity of the infection. India has vaccine stocks, and it should ensure that everyone takes both the doses. Later, the booster dose could be given,” says Dr. Sridhar Chilimuri, physician-in-chief, Bronxcare Hospital Center, New York, who spoke on the topic: “COVID-19: The next phase” in the webinar.
“The Delta variant is rising in several States in the US. We haven’t achieved the desired levels of vaccination. The strategy in the US is to give booster doses to everyone. No deaths due to Omicron have been reported, so far, in the USA and the UK. About 86% of patients admitted to hospitals in South Africa were unvaccinated. About 13% of the population in South Africa is HIV positive and it will take a longer time (about 200 days) for them to clear the virus,” he says.
Sharing the findings of a study in the USA, Dr. Chilimuri says: “Once the ICU capacity in hospitals reached 75%, deaths showed an upward trend. The bed strength is compromised and the overwhelming healthcare system results in delayed care and deaths, which can be due to non-COVID causes.”
