No surge in Covid-19 cases, but vulnerable lag in full vaccination
Omicron is proving to be more resistant to vaccines than its predecessors.
Over 150 cases of the Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 have been detected in India so far. However, unlike the surge seen in South Africa after detection of the more infectious variant, there is no rapid rise in Omicron cases in India yet. But we have to keep in mind that India’s population is about 20 times that of South Africa. Are there local outbreaks in the country already? More importantly, how protected is India should an outbreak occur? Apart from transmissibility, Omicron is proving to be more resistant to vaccines than its predecessors. It means at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, if not a booster dose, might turn out to be a necessary tool in keeping the share of severe cases low and reducing hospitalizations. Here are four charts that explain how India is doing on these fronts.
