Omicron Update

A team of researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia have mapped the infectious rate of Omicron, which also explains why some scientists believe the worst of the virus may not yet be over, Daily Mail reported. The findings reveal that Omicron is 10 times better at escaping Covid vaccine and immunity than the previous Delta variant. This may also explain why the virus spread so swiftly around the world.

A recent study by the Imperial College London has shown that the risk of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is more than five times higher than other strains. Researchers at Deakin University in Australia's Melbourne stated that the first signs of Omicron's immune-evasive properties came from data collected in South Africa.

Delhi on Thursday reported 4,291 Covid cases, taking the active toll to 33,175. The state has also witnessed 34 deaths. The daily positivity rate has declined to 9.56 per cent from 10.59 per cent. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday also decided to lift the weekend curfew and odd-even rule for shops in the market. However, the night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. will continue in the national capital.

From the early pandemic days, sudden loss of smell, or an impaired or distorted perception of odours, emerged as an unusual symptom of Covid. While some people recovered, for some the sense of smell never quite returned to normal.

This has been the practice of some life insurers during the first wave of Covid-19 and now practiced by others as well," a senior insurance industry official told IANS.

According to the study, led by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in the country, unvaccinated people who were infected with the highly-infectious Omicron variant are less likely to fall seriously ill, require hospitalisation or die compared to the previous Covid strains.

"Children's respiratory tract is smaller than adults and this new variant is majorly affecting upper respiratory tract among infected patients," Animesh Arya, Senior Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi told IANS. "Hence it can be said that there are possible chances of children witnessing more problems, which may be of concern but not lethal than adults," Arya added.

India on Monday reported 1,700 cases of Omicron variant from 23 states and Union territories, while also logging 33,750 new Covid-19 cases in a span of 24 hours, taking the active caseload to 1,45,582. According to the latest guidelines by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the precautions and steps to be taken remain the same as before.

According to the UK's NHS, the symptoms of coronavirus generally include "a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste", the Daily Express reported. However, some people have had nausea and a loss of appetite - symptoms that are not usually associated with Covid.