Practice Covid appropriate behaviour

@patkaushal -

Unlike previous Covid-19 mutants, Omicron has given ample time to the world to be prepared and act. It was around the same time last year when Covid-19 cases had started rising. Unfortunately, the world took the rise lightly, leading to so many deaths, lockdowns and closure of businesses.

Festivals and gatherings are clear indications of the rise in Covid-19 cases. It is catching people whenever they are off guard. It is human nature to be comfortable even in uncomfortable situations. The call is to be clean, cautious and careful.

People still have time to protect against the virus by taking the pandemic protocols seriously. Those who have not taken the protective vaccines should go for it immediately. There is an option of booster dose for those who have already taken both doses.

There are cases in which the new variant has affected those who were properly vaccinated and went through both the doses. But the severity of the symptom among them was less, and in most cases, they did not need hospitalization.

It is difficult for anyone to predict the severity of the disease. Still, some experts feel that 2022 should be a better year in terms of control over the disease due to preparedness, global co-operation and attempt to nip the new variants in the bud.

“The world took the Omicron very seriously as soon as it was detected. Some people termed the restrictions imposed by the governments as over-reaction, but as a medical practitioner, I feel it a right step because when the new variant was found, hardly anyone was knowing about its severity,” said Dr Harish, who has several years of work experience in Gulf countries.

"The pandemic's message so far is to avoid reluctance and go for the norms set by the medical experts and governments. The world demography would have been entirely different had there been no vaccination," he said.

Some countries, including Oman, has started administering booster doses. People should avail the opportunity by understanding that top-level experts decide all the Covid-related norms in line with global cooperation.

The vaccine coverage has been widespread and the option of booster is already there. A relatively early response in the form of following Covid-19 norms and restrictions could keep the surge at manageable levels.

As the world is expecting a surge in Covid-19 cases by mid-January, controlling the ferocity of the pandemic would be a challenging task. The most crucial factor, as usual, would be people’s compliance with Covid-appropriate behaviour.