No need to panic over new variant, not enough data to show it's lethal: ICMR

Amid rising concerns over fresh cases of of the new variant Omicron, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that there isn't any need to panic and advised people not to delay their second vaccine dose anymore.

As per ICMR, structural changes in virus may no necessarily give rise to functional changes. There is not enough data that shows the virus is lethal.

Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases, at ICMR, said that mutations in SARS-COV2 via sequencing of genome are indicative but do not mandatorily mean that it is highly transmissible.


However, the body highlights that active vigilance and preventive measures are imperative.

Panda emphasizes on the need to vaccinate a large chunk of population for public health.

Moreover, she said that there is a need to strengthen genome sequencing among people travelling from other countries.

Even if the mutation were to be serious, the mode of transmission is the same as before and hence vaccination, use of mask, sanitization and lesser mass gatherings are required.

The new variant B.1.1.529 was reported to WHO's technical advisory group by WHO's Technical Advisory Group from South Africa.

WHO designated Omicron as VOC and said, "This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa."