Omicron is more infectious than Delta, says senior Medanta Hospital surgeon

Pic for representational use only

New Delhi: Senior Surgeon of Medanta Hospital Dr Arvind Kumar on Thursday said that the data shows that the COVID-19 variant Omicron is more infectious than the Delta variant. However, it is milder as compared to it, he added.

"Delta variant had a higher incidence of involving the lungs and causing oxygen problems. Until now, the data shows that Omicron is more infectious than Delta but also milder as compared to it. Omicron shows higher vaccine unresponsiveness and vaccine failure," he said while speaking to ANI.

"The number of COVID-19 cases is increasing and people are getting serious diseases but the number of ICU admissions, oxygen requirements and death is not as frantic and as psychologically daunting as it was in the second wave in the last year, till now," he added. 

India reported 2,47,417 fresh COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday. Today`s fresh COVID-19 cases are about 27 per cent higher than compared to yesterday`s figures. On Wednesday, the country logged 1,94,720 new COVID-19 cases.

In today`s figures, Maharashtra reported 46,723 new COVID-19 cases, Delhi reported 27,561 new cases, Kerala reported 12,742 new COVID-19 cases and the rest of the cases were reported by other states.

Out of the fresh infections of COVID-19 logged in the last 24 hours in the country, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is found in 5,488 cases. Maharashtra reported 1,367 cases, Rajasthan reported 792 cases, Delhi reported 549 cases, Kerala reported 486 cases, Karnataka reported 479 cases, West Bengal reported 294 cases of the Omicron variant.

India`s active caseload currently stands at 11,17,531 which accounts for 3.08 per cent of the active cases. Moreover, 84,825 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours by the health ministry thereby taking the total recoveries from Coronavirus to 3,47,15,361. 

The recovery rate currently is at 95.59 per cent. However, 380 COVID-19 infected patients lost lives in India in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,85,035, the Union Health Ministry said. Of the 69.73 crore total tests conducted so far, a daily positivity rate of 13.11 per cent was reported in the country. 

Further, the weekly positivity rate is at 10.80 per cent. As far as the COVID-19 vaccination status is concerned, 154.61 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.