Subhash Salunkhe, the state government’s technical adviser, has a hopeful view based on the news about Omicron that has come out of South Africa in the last two weeks. If Covid’s latest incarnation, Omicron, proves to be less virulent than prior varieties like Delta, which triggered the big second wave in India this year, life could return to normal by June 2022.
“Omicron appears to be mild at the time, so there’s no reason to be concerned. It is more contagious, although it does not cause a serious illness “Salunkhe, who formerly served as the state director general of health and as a WHO adviser, remarked “It’s possible that in the future months, one may be relieved that Omicron has appeared. Instead of imposing limits, governments should demand that people behave in a Covid-appropriate manner to avoid Omicron “.
Viruses lose their virulence over time and settle into a “symbiotic relationship” with their living hosts, according to epidemiology. According to experts like Salunkhe, Omicron could be the symbiotic variant: if community transmission of Omicron begins, it will gradually replace the more virulent Delta over the next few months. “People may become infected or reinfected, but that would work as a natural vaccination,” he added, adding that as a result, Covid might be lowered from pandemic to endemic in the next five to six months.
