Omicron sub-variant BA2 has spread like a wildfire in South Korea and to a great extent in the United Kingdom and several other European countries. But experts from India are of the view that immediately another Covid-wave won’t be hitting the country owing to the boosted immunity from the third wave between December 2021 and February and increased vaccination drives in most states.

Dr Subhash Salunkhe, former state director general of health services and state government’s technical adviser, said that we should keep maintaining the precautionary measures as the fourth wave could hit India but the time and severity was unknown. He added that India was in an advantageous position as more than 85% of Indians had been affected throughout the country with the Omicron and most of them have fresh antibodies from the infection. Also, over 80% of Indians were fully vaccinated which were effective in reducing the disease severity with low hospitalisations and deaths.

Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state Covid task force said that Mumbai was the first hotpot during the Omicron wave and due to genome sequencing both the Omicron variants BA1 and BA2 had been identified at the initial phases of the third wave. No imminent threat of a fresh Covid wave was there in India. The new Israeli variant wasn’t declared as a variant of concern (VoC), so people need not panic until a new VoC emerges, but wearing masks should be continued.

Doctors have advised that antibodies diminish with time; re-infection may occur and set in future waves. Hence the way to protect oneself and the whole society was to follow the Covid-appropriate behavior.

Source: The Times of India