TN on high alert over new Covid-19 variant

TN on high alert over new Covid-19 variant

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.11.2021

The state health department on Sunday advised all district collectors and major airports to be on high alert regarding Omicron, the new variant of Covid-19. Health secretary J Radhakrishnan has advised all collectors to keep track of people entering into their districts from foreign countries, particularly from atrisk countries and enhance surveillance.

The new variant (B.1.1.529), first reported in South Africa earlier this month, has a large number of mutations associated with higher transmissibility than the Delta variant. Cases have been detected in Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel and some European nations. But till date, none from Tamil Nadu has tested positive for this variant. “In case another major surge of Covid-19 takes place driven by Omicron in the region, consequences will be tough and we have to take all measures to prevent its entry into our state as like Delta this may pose overwhelming demands on healthcare systems, and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. The impact on vulnerable populations would be enormous,” Radhakrishnan wrote to collectors.

Reports of breakthrough or re-infections from populations expected to have a high level of immunity (due to prior infections or high vaccination coverage) could indicate the presence of a variant able to evade the immune response.

Samples collected from such clusters should be sent to the state health lab in Chennai’s Teynampet on a priority basis to help in epidemiological studies. Despite uncertainties over Omicron’s immune escape potential, Radhakrishnan said it is legitimate to say available vaccines may offer some level of protection against hospitalisation and death.

Travellers from 11 other countries including England, Brazil, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Israel, Botswana and China should have covid negative certificate while entering the state.