BRACING FOR IMPACT

OMICRON, THE LATEST COVID ‘VARIANT OF CONCERN’, SPREADS FAST BUT HAS SO FAR NOT CAUSED SEVERE SYMPTOMS AND NO DEATHS. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED

- SONALI ACHARJEE

On December 7, India recorded just 6,822 new Covid-19 cases and 200 deaths in 24 hours; the lowest single-day spike in over 18 months. Active cases currently stand at 95,014, the lowest in 554 days. Yet, instead of heaving a sigh of relief, public health officials across the country are gearing up for battle once again. Ever since cases of the new Covid variant, Omicron, have been confirmed in India, both the Centre and states are stepping up measures to ensure that transmission remains as low as possible. Nobody wants a repeat of what happened when the Delta variant was left to spread unchecked. In Delhi’s Shahdara, for instance, a Covid care centre reserved for Delhi police personnel has been revived. Its 78 beds have been dusted and oxygen has been secured for 20 beds. A little further away, the capital’s largest Covid hospital, the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Narayan Hospital, has also begun taking stock of its beds and oxygen situation. “We just don’t want to take chances. With Covid, it is always better to be prepared. Surges can be sudden and unpredictable. Even as one works towards limiting the spread, they should be ready if the spread does happen,” says Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director, LNJP.

The spread of Omicron has been rapid. Since December 3, when two cases were first detected in Karnataka, the number has grown seven times to 23 in just four days, with cases reported in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. While the states have ruled out complete lockdown, they have implemented other measures to limit transmission (see