Dr K Srinath Reddy on flattening the Omicron curve

Q: As we continue to grapple with the third wave, let us begin by asking... When will India witness a peak in the number of omicron Covid-19 cases? And, what will be the duration of this wave?
Ans:
>Omicron’s transmissibility and our own behaviour will determine when the peak will occur and how high it will be
>We will reach the peak by end of January if we are careless
>We will reach the peak sometime in February if we follow Covid-appropriate behaviour


Q: Experts in India say that the country has hybrid immunity, due to which Omicron will be less effective. Has this been the case so far?  
Ans:
>No type of immunity will fully protect against infections
>Hybrid immunity will however reduce the number of people who will be severely ill and the number of deaths  


Q: What sort of estimates do we have on the number of cases we’ll see at the peak, and how will that compare with the numbers seen in the Delta wave? Also, what about the peak in hospital admissions and deaths when compared to the Delta wave?  
Ans:
>Number of infections will be much higher than in the Delta wave
>Number of hospitalisations due to severe illness, deaths, and the need for intensive care will be lower than in the second wave
>We must slow down transmission from large urban centres to smaller towns and villages  

Watch video