18 of 16000 fliers from at-risk nations test positive; genome sequencing for Omicron underway: Govt
New Delhi, Dec 03 (PTI): Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed Parliament that RTPCR tests of 16,000 passengers from ‘at-risk’ countries have been conducted so far, of whom 18 have tested positive for COVID-19. He also said that genome sequencing for Omicron detection is underway for such passengers. Replying to a debate on the pandemic in the Lok Sabha, he said the Union government has taken measures to make the country ready for any future challenges and adopted the buffer stock policy to ensure that all states have enough medicines to deal with any further surge in COVID-19 cases. “A decision on booster dose and jabs for children will be taken on the basis of scientific advise,” he said and appealed to opposition parties to trust scientists.
WHO says measures used against delta should work for omicron
Manila: Measures used to counter the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new omicron version of the virus, World Health Organisation officials said Friday, while acknowledging that the travel restrictions imposed by some countries may buy time. While about three dozen countries worldwide have reported omicron infections, including India on Thursday, the numbers so far are small outside of South Africa, which is facing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and where the new variant may be becoming dominant. Still, much remains unclear about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, or whether it can evade vaccine protection.
Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time. But every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, told reporters Friday during a virtual news conference from the Philippines. The positive news in all of this is that none of the information we have currently about omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response.”
That means continuing to push for higher vaccination rates, abiding by social-distancing guidelines, and wearing masks, among other measures, said WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure.
He added that health systems must ensure we are treating the right patients in the right place at the right time, and so therefore ensuring that ICU beds are available, particularly for those who need them.
