The speed of spread and the mistaking of the illness for other minor respiratory illnesses both have the potential to quickly affect workforces in offices. This, in turn, can have a debilitating effect on the economy, which is one of the best-performing ones in the world. Dr Vikram Vora, Medical Director, International SOS (India) explains more
With Omicron cases surging in India (nearly 1,500 cases), the healthcare infrastructure in India is gearing to meet this threat posed by this new COVID-19 variant, which has brought life to a standstill in some parts of the
developed world. One of the things to be noted about Omicron is the speed of its spread. From November 23, 2021, when a new COVID-19 variant was first reported from South Africa to December 23, 2021, when this variant was detected in over 106 countries, the march of Omicron has been relentless. As it continues to drive record-breaking case numbers in countries like the US, the UK, France and Germany, global daily case numbers have doubled during this period.
What is causing this rapid spread are mutations, of which over 50 have been discovered in the Omicron variant as compared to the older variants (including Delta). These have conferred the properties of increased transmissibility and a shorter incubation period which is now seen to be as low as three days. Closer home, cases in the major metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi have suddenly increased by as much as 100 per cent in four to five days.
Symptoms & Confusion
The symptoms that Omicron causes in those infected ranges from those similar to other variants to a few distinct ones. Symptoms like fever, body ache, sore throat and fatigue have been encountered before but the Omicron
variant differs in presenting with cough and a runny nose – symptoms that can be easily mistaken for routine “change-of-weather” illnesses. Also, the characteristic loss of smell and taste is not commonly seen with Omicron. This causes confusion and delays seeking of medical help and diagnosis – in turn promoting the spread of the infection to those in the home or outside.
Business Continuity Risks
The speed of spread and the mistaking of the illness for other minor respiratory illnesses both have the potential to quickly affect workforces in offices. This, in turn, can have a debilitating effect on the economy, which is one of the best- performing ones in the world. “With quarantine requirements still being in lace, increased absenteeism is a likely result. And with workers being away, supply chain disruptions could create added problems for business continuity. After two long years, some business activities were slowly returning to normal – business travel had just begun to pick up but with countries and states enforcing changing regulations and testing/quarantine requirements, travel delays and disruptions are almost certain. Also, business meetings and events can rapidly turn into super- spreader events that could lead to additional challenges.
Vaccination Relevant?
This raises the most pertinent question, which everyone is asking- is vaccination relevant? Vaccination continues to prevent serious disease and death. The Omicron variant causes a milder illness but that is true particularly for fully vaccinated individuals. Experience with unvaccinated individuals especially in South Africa and the UK shows that these make up a large number of hospitalisations resulting in complications. Studies have shown that full vaccination in individuals who have previously had COVID-19 or have had a booster dose leads to a better immune response. Hence, getting the second dose of the vaccine is extremely important and those eligible must go in for a booster or “precaution” dose as soon as available.
Dealing with Omicron
With the year-end being a day away, the natural holiday spirit has come to the fore. However, year-end celebrations like New Year’s Eve parties, vacations at popular holiday destinations etc all can turn catastrophic pretty quickly
with Omicron being an uninvited guest to the party. Any individual with even a common cold, should isolate for four to five days and even after that, must wear a mask at all times. Today there are antigen-based rapid tests that can be done at home and many are using these but fail to report the results on the government portal. This leads to a lower number of cases being reported and can instil a false sense of security leading to complacency.
Here are some suggestions on how to deal with Omicron;
• The gold standard for testing continues to be an RT-PCR test and any individual whether vaccinated or not should get a test done if symptomatic.
• Full vaccination, masking and social distancing continue to be the mainstay of our defence against COVID-19 regardless of the variant.
• Organisations should seek and consult medical and security experts for any return to the office to mitigate any risks for the workforce.
