COVID-19: The threat of Omicron strain is high and all nations have increased testing
In a worrying sign amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health Ministry has said clusters of infections have been reported from some places across the country.
In a letter to all the states, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan called for active surveillance and testing to find clusters or hotspots, amid concerns over a new, highly mutated coronavirus strain now known as Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa. The Omicron strain has spread to several nations now, including India, where two cases have been reported from Karnataka.
"Keep actively following up the number of cases, rate of testing and positivity district wise in all districts. Any uptick in cases and positivity must be immediately taken cognisance of and addressed through public health measures such as contact tracing, quarantining of contacts, isolation of those found positive and ensuring proper containment," the Health Ministry said in the letter.
The centre said evidence indicates that fully vaccinated people are protected from severity of the disease. "Please ensure that the remaining first and second dose gaps in Covid vaccination... are addressed and filled up through proactive measures," the Health Ministry said.
It asked states to send samples of all those who test positive for whole genome sequencing only to laboratories tagged to each state or Union Territory in the INSACOG network. Short for Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium, INSACOG checks variations in coronavirus across the nation to help understand how it spreads and evolves, and to suggest the best possible public health response.
"Put in place a system to ensure that sample quality is good and transportation to INSACOG labs is quick. As already intimated, ideally no samples should be sent to any lab which is not part of the INSACOG network," the Health Ministry said.
INSACOG has recommended the centre to consider COVID-19 booster dose for those who are 40 years and older amid the threat of Omicron.
The US and Britain have already cleared booster shots for some age groups.