The severity of COVID-19 disease caused by the Omicron cariant in India may be low due to the country’s immunisation programme and extensive exposure to the Delta version, according to India’s health ministry.
“Given the fast pace of vaccination in India and high exposure to Delta variant as evidenced by high seropositivity, the severity of the disease is anticipated to be low,” it said in a statement on Friday.
“However, scientific evidence is still evolving.”
After declaring its first two Omicron cases the day before, India announced 9,216 new COVID-19 infections on Friday. The number of deaths increased by 391, bringing the total to 470,115.
The health ministry verified the first occurrences of the Omicron coronavirus strain in two people on Thursday, with officials stating that one passenger arrived from South Africa and the other had never visited the nation before.
The cases were two males from southern Karnataka state, a 66-year-old guy who had travelled to India from South Africa and a 46-year-old doctor, according to the ministry.
Hundreds of the two men’s contacts have been tracked down and tested for the virus, with at least five people testing positive.
The 66-year-old man who tested positive was asked to self-isolate in the hotel where he was staying because he had no symptoms, according to health officials.
On November 23, the individual tested himself privately again, and after receiving a negative result, he flew to Dubai on November 27, according to state health officials.
Officials claimed the 46-year-old doctor was tested on November 22 after he developed a fever and his body hurt. On the same day, he self-isolated, and five of his contacts tested positive and have since been isolated.
Dr. Balram Bhargava, the chairman of India’s largest medical research organisation, urged people not to be alarmed and to be vaccinated.
“Increased vaccine uptake is the need of the hour. Don’t delay in getting fully vaccinated,” he said.
As a precaution, certain Indian states have imposed tight restrictions on international visitors, including mandatory COVID-19 testing for visitors from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.
According to Our World In Data, more than 56 percent of Indians have received at least one vaccine dosage — 32 percent are completely vaccinated and 24 percent have just received a single shot.
