AIIMS chief issues warning amid rising Omicron cases in India

The Omicron threat has gripped the world and countries fear that a third wave of the pandemic will hit soon. The sudden rise in the number of Omicron cases in India has also incited concern among the authorities and residents over the past few days.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Sunday that in view of rising COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the fast spread of Omicron to multiple countries, India should prepare itself for any eventuality.

“We should prepare and hope that things are not as bad as in the United Kingdom. We need more data on Omicron. Whenever there is a surge in cases in other parts of the world, we need to monitor it closely and be prepared for any eventuality. It is better to stay prepared than to get caught off-guard,” said Guleria while talking to ANI.

So far, India has reported over 100 cases of the Omicron variant. The highest number of Omicron cases in India has been reported from Maharashtra, where over 35 people have contracted the virus. States such as Delhi, Rajasthan, and Gujarat have also reported Omicron cases.

The new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.

On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’. The WHO has classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’. WHO has also said that the Omicron variant spreads faster than the Delta variant, which caused the deadly second wave.

The Omicron variant has officially been detected in 89 countries, and the cases are doubling in a span of 1.5 to 3 days, said the global health agency. Due to this, many countries have decided to tighten their international travel guidelines.