Omicron is now the most dominant strain of Covid 19 in India.

Indians have traumatic memories of the Delta variant of Corona, but now, in a stroke of mixed fortune, the delta variant might be taken over by a milder and less deadly omicron variant. The variant is now found in 19 out of every 20 samples sent for genome sequencing.

According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog), Ominicorn is now the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in India. Since February first week, it found that Omicron is found in more than 95% of genome sequencing samples, and it is thus fast replacing Delta as the most dominant variant in India.

He said that before February Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog) saw mainly mixed infections, including Delta, Beta, and Delta plus. However, genome sequencing samples show that Omicron has completely overtaken Delta in the past few weeks. According to the experts at Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog). While Delta spread in waves, Omicron’s spread was simultaneous across India.

An official Addir said, “Delta is sporadic now” and that the efforts were on to intensify and increase genome sequencing. In January, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog) claims, Omicron was in community transmission in India and, thus, had become the dominant variant in multiple metros.

At the time, it cautioned that the threat level remained “unchanged” and claimed that most

Omicron cases so far had been asymptomatic or mild though hospitalizations while ICU cases had been increasing.

In the fourth week of December, Omicron was found in 50% of the samples sent to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog) for genomic sequencing. Fast forward to the second and third weeks of January; this was as high as around 90-95%. Insacog claimed that the spread of Omicron in the country is through internal transmission and not, unlike some previous variants, on account of those who have traveled overseas.

Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog) also added that a revised sampling and sequencing strategy is being worked out, which will help address genomic surveillance objectives under these changing circumstances. It remains to be seen how the institute will make changes to its strategies to tackle the monitoring of this variant in a better way.

This news comes in light of other mixed developments on the question of Covid-19. On the good side, the general atmosphere is relaxing – with Assam becoming the first Indian state to completely open up and end all its COVID-19 related restrictions even as the number of cases continues to decline in the country. Several other states are holding elections and social distancing norms in these states are mostly relaxed. Moreover, health facilities are far better prepared to handle any crisis, and the majority of the country’s population has now been vaccinated. On the wrong side, several different studies all over the world are now concluding that other problems in older adults may sequence the disease and, also, that people, in general, are way more likely to suffer from mental health issues like depression, sleeping disorders, etc. after recovering from Covid-19. India has been the home to the world’s largest vaccination drive but now may be facing another challenge in the form of potential mass wastage of vials that are about to expire in the coming few weeks –  by the end of February or the first weeks of March.

Omnicron may be a milder variant than others, but it is wise to keep taking necessary precautions for personal safety. Moreover, the possibility of future variants can not be ruled out at this stage.