With the emergence of the new variant Omicron, the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases worldwide has surged, and Dr. VK Paul, member of Niti Aayog, expressed concern. At a press conference on Friday, Dr. Paul highlighted the worrying spread of infections in Europe and compared it with the Indian population. Considering our population, there will be 1.4 million cases every day,” Dr. Paul said.
He added that Omicron is believed to be the driving force behind the spread, but this is still an “emerging and unexpected situation” and the government is closely monitoring all developments.
“The Omicron strain is said to cause mild infections,” Dr. Paul added.
Niti Aayog members also stated that it is impossible to sequence the genome of each sample.
“It is impossible to sequence the genome of each sample. It is a surveillance and pandemic assessment and tracking tool, not the current diagnostic tool. We can ensure that adequate systematic sampling is being performed,” Dr. Paul said. On Friday, the United Kingdom reported 3,201. According to official data, the number of cases of the new variant is the largest one-day increase since Omicron was discovered in the country, bringing the total number of such cases to 14,909.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also stated that the country recorded 93,045 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, breaking the daily record for the third consecutive day, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11,190,354.
In India, as many as 113 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in 11 states and federal territories to date. Of these, 26 cases were reported on Friday.
Maharashtra topped the list with 40 cases, followed by Delhi with 22 cases, Rajasthan with 17 cases, Telangana and Karnataka with 8 cases each, and Gujarat and Kerala with 7 cases each. , And 1 case each in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Chandigarh.
Raf Agarwal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Health, said at a press conference that the Omicron variant has been found in 91 countries around the world.
The Omicron variant was first reported from South Africa to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 25. According to the World Health Organization, the first known B.1.1.529 infection came from a sample collected on November 9 this year.
On November 26, the WHO named the new variant “Omicron”. Global health agencies also classify this highly mutated strain as a “variant of concern.”
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
