OMICRON VS WE THE PEOPLE

STEPPING INTO 2022 HEALTH YEAR-ENDER

OMICRON VS WE THE PEOPLE

As Omicron Threatens To Emerge As The Predominant Covid-19 Variant Over Delta That Caused The Second Wave In 2021, People’s Attitude Will Matter Most In 2022. Vaccines Form The First Line Of Defence, But Experts Say The Universal Mantra Is: Mask Up, Keep Distance

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Times of india 

23.12.2021

As the year draws to an end, there’s a sense of déjà vu. In December 2020 too, Covid-19 cases had dipped and experts were talking of herd immunity. But by May the second wave was on us. This December too, cases are down, and the spectre of Omicron looms.

“Omicron has the potential to rewrite the pandemic schedule,” warns senior virologist Dr T Jacob John. “The transmission rate of the new variant is several times higher. It has a greater ability to evade the immune system, but the disease is mild. Initially many thought it was a good sign, but the massive increase in number is now leading to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths,” he says.

Covid-19 has been around for nearly two years now, but we still haven’t learned to live with it. The moment cases drop people ignore vaccines, masks and social distancing norms – till the numbers rise again.

On May 21, at the peak of the pandemic, the state reported more than 36,000 new cases, and by the end of the month there were more than 3 lakh people in the active registry overwhelming hospitals and wearing out health workers. Beds, drugs, oxygen and ambulances were never enough.

By September, however, the numbers were down, and everyone was back on the roads. In itself, that isn’t a problem. For example, Singapore and Australia, which aimed for ‘zero-Covid’ strategies, have given up such plans. Our problem is that we don’t wear masks and keep social distance when the lockdown is lifted.

A survey by the National Institute of Epidemiology in November found that only 14% of people in slum areas and 21% in non-slum areas wore masks in shops, pharmacies and places of worship. The result is newer clusters at workplaces, educational institutions and family reunions. “Most patients are infected with the delta variant. The second wave is not yet over,” says health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur says we can push back or slow down the wave if we put evidence into practice. “The key tools that remain with us are vaccines and masks, besides social distancing, and other practices such as hand hygiene and social distancing,” says Dr Kaur. Tamil Nadu now reports an average of 600 cases and 10 deaths a day.

The flow charts of patients suspected to carry the Omicron variant look worse. “We have confirmation that one of the international patients carried the new variant. He was at home for less than half a day and by then almost all his family members and close contacts were infected,” says the health secretary.

The state has ramped up infrastructure and resources. Health minister Ma Subramanian says more than 1 lakh isolation beds have been set aside for Covid-19 patients. Tamil Nadu has enhanced oxygen storage capacity in state-run facilities from around 200 tonnes last year to more than 1,400 tonnes.

To increase vaccination coverage, the state organises daily camps, door-to-door vaccinations and two mega camps a week. Still, data from the immunisation wing show nearly 15% of the adult population in the state have ignored the vaccine, and around 44% of them haven’t completed the course.

“The pandemic is no longer about the virus and management, it’s about attitudes. We must work together to end this pandemic. Get the vaccine and mask up,” says Subramanian.