New Delhi, Dec 2 (Agency) The World Health Organisation’s South-East Asia unit called to step-up surveillance as the Government of India announced two confirmed cases of Omicron on Thursday. India is the first country among the South East Asia region to report the presence of Omicron variant of Covid-19. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said the confirmation of Omicron Variant of Concern today by India was not unexpected, “in view of the interconnected world that we live in”.
However, she emphasised that the response measure for all the Variants of Concern (VoC), including Omicron, should remain the same. “This emphasises the need for all countries to step up surveillance, to be on alert and rapidly detect any importation and take measures to curtail further spread of the virus. The response measures for all variants, including Omicron, is the same as those for SARs CoV2. Comprehensive and tailored public health and social measures by governments, strict adherence to preventive and precautionary measures by individuals, is a must,” she said. People must wear a well-fitting mask that covers their nose and mouth well, keep distance, avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces, keep hands clean, cover cough and sneeze and get vaccinated. They should continue to take all precautionary measures even after getting vaccinated. All travellers must adhere to public health and social measures at all times and remain vigilant for signs and symptoms of Covid-19,” Singh added. Two individuals in India have been detected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Karnataka, Union Health Ministry said in a briefing today. The individuals, both males, aged 66 and 46, had recently travelled to South Africa, where the majority of cases for the new variant have been reported, sources said here. However, the symptoms of both cases are mild in nature so far. The Union government also said that the mild nature of symptoms exhibited by both the cases is in sync with 271 other cases reported in 28 more nations. According to the WHO, the Omicron variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. “Researchers around the world are conducting studies to better understand the transmissibility, severity and immune escape capabilities of Omicron,” it said in a statement.