An Israeli scientist said that Omicron, the new COVID variant, may not be as dangerous as the Delta and Alpha and other variants of coronavirus. The scientist from Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel, however, said that the new variant appears to be more contagious.India’s COVID caseload increased to 3,46,41,561 as 8,306 more people tested positive for coronavirus infection. The Union ministry of health and family welfare informed that the death toll climbed to 4,73,537 with 211 fresh fatalities. The number of people who have recuperated from the coronavirus disease surged to 3,40,69,608. India’s COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.35 per cent.India’s overall caseload in regards to the new COVID variant Omicron has increased to 21 as 17 more cases of the Omicron variant were reported on December 5. Nine people in Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur, seven in Maharashtra’s Pune district and a 37-year-old in Delhi tested positive for the B.1.1.529 variant that was first reported to WHO from South Africa on November 24, 2021. The WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has classified it as Variant of Concern (VoC) in view of the large number of mutations noted in the variant.The central and the state governments have repeatedly asked people to strictly adher to COVID appropriate behaviour and said that the use of mask/face cover, physical distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene and undertaking Covid-19 vaccination remain the mainstay for managing COVID-19 at the community level.
