Heavily mutated Omicron may be spreading faster than ever but it could be good news in the face of the deadly Delta variant, said K Srinath Reddy, president of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) in an interview with Teena Thacker. Edited excerpts
There have been cases in India where the person infected with Omicron had no travel history. What does it mean?
While South Africa first detected it, this variant has come up in different places. Delta has been there everywhere, too. Assuming that it did arise somewhere in Africa, it had spread silently earlier and now is replicating itself in different countries.
Can we say it’s already there in the community?
I would say so. We have seen people who have had no travel history but got infected, for example the Bengaluru doctor. We cannot say everything has come from travel. On whether it is already there in the community, I would say that’s possible. Whether it will spread in the community, that’s much more likely.
So should we be frightened?
If it’s a mild illness and may confer immunity. It may actually indicate a change in the nature of the virus to a milder virus. It may be a step in the progression towards the milder virus. Many of the other coronaviruses also started off with the severe illness and they ended up as common cold viruses.
Is it good news then?
It may be good news. It may not be a final step. But it’s a part of the journey. It appears that the nature of the virus is changing, but we should also be careful. If we allow ourselves to be exposed, then many people will get infected. Just as the virus is changing its behaviour, we should also maintain a cautious behaviour so that it continues to evolve in a safer direction.
Can we say the next few days are crucial?
Some months, I’d say. The more obstacles we create for the virus to spread, the greater impetus for it to change into a milder form with greater infectivity.
