Tag: Omicron

The INSACOG reports genomic surveillance of SARS CoV-2 across the country through sequencing of samples from 'sentinel sites' and also a detailed statewise district analysis for some states.

The study is in tandem with preliminary studies showing that several clinically used antibodies lose neutralising activity against Omicron's spike-expressing recombinant lentiviral or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based pseudoviruses, the researchers said.

After ILS (Institute of Life Sciences) Bhubaneswar confirmed detection of two ‘Omicron’ variant cases in Odisha, state Public Health Director, Niranjan Mishra on Tuesday (Dec 21) revealed more information on the newly detected cases.

The decline in effectiveness begins to first appear at around three months, when the risk of hospitalisation and death is double that of two weeks after the second dose.

Odisha reports two cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19, informs ILS Bhubaneswar. One of them had returned to Odisha from Nigeria, the other person had returned from Qatar; one is a resident of Jagatsinghpur, another is from Khordha district.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 54 days now.

About the ongoing vaccination drive, Mandaviya informed the house that with the health workers' diligent efforts, total 88 per cent of the first Covid vaccine dose and 58 per cent of the second have been administered in India as of now, and the majority of the population in India is vaccinated.

INSACOG said that while there are some indicators that the disease may be milder with Omicron, there is insufficient data to determine whether this is because of prior infections or vaccination.

Some reports also have suggested that people living in areas with lower vaccination rates are at greater risk of getting co-infected. In addition, the risk of co-infection has been found more among the elderly, those with co-morbidities and a compromised immune system.

The latest research from South Africa, where Omicron was first reported, suggested that two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offered 70 per cent effectiveness in reducing the risk of hospitalisation. Israeli researchers have also found that the booster doses of the vaccine works against Omicron.

While the 100 microgram booster dose was "generally safe and well tolerated", however, there "was a trend toward slightly more frequent adverse reactions" following it compared to the authorised dose.

While Omicron was first reported in South Africa on November 24, India's first two cases of this heavily mutated version of the coronavirus were detected in Karnataka on December 2.

NSE Nifty50 fell by 527.25 points or 3.10 per cent to 16,457.95 points.

The genome sequencing reports of four out of the seven Covid positive foreign returnees have come out negative for Omicron.

In a major development, State Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra informed that severity of disease after the Omicron infection is very low.