Researchers sound word of caution on Omicron

Variant looks less severe, but should not be taken lightly: Experts

As a new study from South Africa suggests that the Omicron Covid-19 variant is less severe even for the unvaccinated, Indian health experts on Saturday warned that it was too soon to come to any conclusion and the highly-transmissible strain should not be taken lightly.

According to experts, the Omicron variant is said to cause less severe disease. However, people should not stop taking precautionary measures, following Covid-19 protocols or getting vaccinated.

"It is too soon to tell if this variant is less severe even for the unvaccinated. We definitely are witnessing less severity of symptoms in vaccinated people, so it is extremely important to get the vaccine," Tushar Tayal, senior consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Gurugram said.