The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is expected to peak in February 2022, but it could subside in a month, experts said. Two scientists behind the Sutra model tracking the trajectory of COVID-19 said that a mild new wave may hit India in February.
Manindra Agrawal of IIT Kanpur and M Vidyasagar of IIT Hyderabad, co-founders of the model said that in the worst case scenario, daily new cases may be in the range of 1.5 to 2 lakhs in February. This may happen if the Omicron variant completely evades immunities acquired naturally or through vaccination, the told India Today.
The professors also said that given the similarity in demographics and the level of natural immunity, India is likely to mirror the Omicron trajectory unfolding in South Africa. They said that if what is happening in South Africa is any measure, the spread of the new variant will be fast and its fall from the peak equally swift. In South Africa the cases peaked in three weeks and the decline has already started Agarwal said.
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Meanwhile, India reported 6,317 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With this, the country’s caseload reached 3,47,58,481. India’s active caseload currently stands at 78,190, the lowest in 573 days.
The country also reported 318 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total death count to 4,78,325. The number of fatalities today is significantly up from yesterday’s spike of 132 deaths.
(With inputs from India Today)
