Omicron arrives in India
There isn’t enough evidence to warrant panic. Follow the science and be well prepared
Health officials confirmed the first cases of infections from the Omicron variant in India on Thursday, less than a week after it was designated a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization. The positive samples came from two men in Karnataka, one a South African national and the other a health care professional with no history of travel. Disclosures by state officials all but confirmed that local transmission of the variant has taken place, and at least five more people – primary and secondary contacts of the doctor who tested positive – may possibly have the virus. Considering what has been seen in South Africa, where the variant seems to be spreading rapidly, its detection elsewhere was inevitably a matter of when, rather than if. At last count, 30 countries have found the variant.
Union health ministry officials rightly appealed for calm as they broke the news of the first detections. There is little known about how significant a threat Omicron poses besides being readily transmissible. It is not known if this variant leads to more severe, or milder, illness and it will take weeks before one of the most crucial questions from an Indian perspective is answered: How does it affect people who have had a past infection, vaccine shots, or both? Undue alarm will only serve to create a distraction at a time when the focus needs to be on scientific evidence. In fact, in the past, panicked by rumours of shutdowns, people have often flocked to markets in large crowds and rushed to travel back home, both potential superspreader events.
But it is also important, for the public as well as the administration, to keep in mind the three most crucial things that now follow. First, timely recognition of clear scientific evidence – India paid a heavy price when it did not understand how devastating the Delta variant could be. Second, the need to test and trace – the inevitability of Omicron’s spread only reinforces the need to double down on containment efforts that could slow down any potential outbreak. The goal remains the same — flatten any curves. Three, pre-emptive measures — the oxygen crisis, the bed shortage, the medical supplies crunch took place barely eight months ago. All stakeholders involved must be activated now and ensure adequate arrangements are in place, no matter how premature they may seem. Omicron is yet to be a significant threat, but just in case it is, be prepared for it.