Omicron is driving the current Covid surge in Kolkata, accounting for about 70% of the total cases, genomic analysis of samples drawn from the infected has confirmed.
“Till Christmas, 15 to 20 per cent of the samples showed the presence of omicron. Things changed between Christmas and new year. We have found omicron in 70% of the samples collected between Christmas and early January from in and around Kolkata,” a senior scientist associated with the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) told My Kolkata on Friday.
Police setting up a micro-containment zone in South Kolkata Amit Datta
The consortium has been set up to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid, in the country.
The findings in Kolkata are drawn from a nationwide study, with focus on the metro cities, that the consortium is conducting since December 20 to assess the spread of omicron in the country.
It has conducted genomic sequencing of 500 samples collected in the period between Christmas and new year to conclude that omicron has overtaken delta as the dominant coronavirus variant in Kolkata, said the scientist. In Delhi and Mumbai too, omicron has become the dominant strain.
Passengers in Kolkata metro follow mask mandate but fail to maintain social distancing Amit Datta
The number of Covid cases in Kolkata has risen almost 37 times over two weeks — from 178 on December 23 to 6,569 on Jan 6. The city currently has the highest positivity rate in the country: 53.1%.
Physicians said they had noted a shift in the symptoms of Covid patients. “Most patients have milder symptoms compared to those during the second wave, when hospitalisation and mortality was higher. This possibly indicates that omicron is causing the current infections,” said Dr Arup Haldar, a pulmonologist associated with a private hospital.
“That so many doctors, frontline medical workers and common people are getting infected in the current wave despite taking two vaccines proves that omicron has become the variant of concern in Kolkata. Omicron is known to have the ability to infect those who have taken vaccines,” said Dr Ajoy Sarkar, who has also been treating Covid patients.
Omicron has also been infecting those who have already received both shots of the vaccine Amit Datta
He added that vaccines have contributed to reducing the severity of omicron infections and urged the government to provide booster doses to the vulnerable at the earliest.
“Most doctors have taken the Covishield vaccine with a gap of about four weeks between the two doses. We later got to know that a gap of eight to 16 weeks between the does elicits better immune response. Many doctors thus have low levels of antibodies now and are falling prey to omicron,” said Dr Haldar.
Police distributing protective face masks among sadhus at the Babughat transit camp, amidst the rising infections in Kolkata Amit Datta
According to health department officials, more than 1,000 doctors, nurses and other frontline medical workers are suffering from Covid in Kolkata.
“If you consider the private hospitals, the number will be much higher and that is the reason we have appealed to the government to stop potential super-spreader events like the Ganga Sagar mela and municipal elections,” said Hiralal Konar, one of the conveners of the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal.
Vaccination programs for students between 15-18 years of age were started from Monday