COVID-19 | Rise in numbers expected to continue for few weeks: health expert

Omicron variant behind current surge in cases: N.K. Arora

The current surge in COVID-19 cases is driven mostly by the Omicron variant, a top health expert in India said on Tuesday. He said the rise in numbers was expected to continue for the next few weeks. At present, COVID deaths were being reported mostly among those with co-morbidities, the expert said.

Following the continued spike in cases across India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday held a virtual meeting with members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to discuss the clinical treatment guidelines and measures to be brought in to ensure that correct information was provided to the public.

“Most COVID-19 cases in India currently seem to be driven by the Omicron variant,” said N.K. Arora, who heads the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), COVID Working Group. The early indication given by the IIT Kanpur model noted that transmission was taking place very actively and that India should be reaching its peak in the near future. “But it is likely to last for several weeks before it subsides,” Dr. Arora told ANI.