Kumaran P | NT

In all probability, you are. Fast declining cases coupled with milder symptoms among the infected are rocketing the country towards normalcy adding to the good news. So, pull out those dusty travel bags and head to the sea or mountains. Maybe starting off with a visit to Puri could be the best way forward, according to Kumaran P.

A recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, has revealed that the estimate of Americans immune to Omicron could rise to 80 per cent from the current 73 per cent by mid-March. The study cites vaccination and exposure to the variant as possible factors for this increase.

The fact that there were large numbers of asymptomatic and false Covid cases during the recent third wave has given rise to the question of whether Indians are immune to Omicron.

According to Dr Jagadish Hiremath, chairman at Aasra Hospital, since a large number of Indians are exposed to Omicron variant and a majority of us are vaccinated with both the doses and those at higher risk are also receiving booster doses, there could be a possibility that Indians have become immune to Omicron. Nevertheless, he urges that proper research be initiated.

Dr TR Hemkumar, consultant - Internal Medicine, Sakra World Hospital, said, “The real number of cases in the third wave of Covid-19 through January 2022 could have been four or five fold higher than the official count based on the RT-PCR and antigen-based testing in the labs. The reason could be the availability of home self-testing kits and the general advice to treat the patient without testing even if one family member has tested positive. There are no strict measures to isolate the patients due to the mild nature of the sickness. The very high numbers of infections are assessments that are not based on real serological testing. As many as 70–80 per cent of people living in Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, may have gained resistance or developed antibodies against the Omicron variant. Due to the mild nature of the illness, we have not ascertained if the antibody levels are restricted to only the respiratory tract or have been circulating in the blood as well.”

Dr Aditya S Chowti, Senior Consultant - Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, said, “The terms immune and immunity have been bandied about a lot lately. In the event of the third wave passing over, we’ve seen a lot of people recover faster, contracting a weaker form of the infection with less-severe symptoms, and a lot of speculation revolving around the Omicron variant being less dangerous than the ones seen in the first and second waves. However, it is interesting to postulate if we have become immune to the virus, if we have gained herd immunity, or if vaccination has helped a lot in warding off infections.”

“This variant did not, anyhow, cause as much devastation as the previous kinds, possibly linking it to the rising levels of immunity among the general population, as well as our country’s higher vaccination rate,” added Dr Chowti.

Dr Srivatsa Lokeshwaran, Consultant - Interventional Pulmonology, Aster CMI Hospital, said, “The Omicron variant has been causing a very subtle infection in the majority of the affected population. Also, the added factor of toning down tests has led to a part of the pool not being tested positive even though symptoms are mild. Then there is part of the population that is asymptomatic. Overall, with excellent vaccine coverage and the added benefit of a highly contagious or milder variant of the virus, we have achieved widespread herd immunity that seems to be the reason because of which the cases are dropping so rapidly."