The Covid pandemic that originated in late 2019 is showing no end in near sight, and the emergence of new variants like Omicron is once again pushing the world to a state of shutdown. Amid rising scare, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a tsunami of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and the deadly Delta variant will pile pressure on health systems.
The emergence of twin threats
It was the Delta variant that resulted in the lethal second wave in several countries like India and the United States. However, at one point in time, these countries, with effective preventive measures and vaccination successfully flattened the Covid chaos curve. But now, with the emergence of the Omicron variant, the number of fresh cases has started climbing up drastically.
According to WHO, the Delta and Omicron variants of Covid are ''twin threats'' which is ultimately resulting in rising fresh cases, a surge in hospitalizations, and an increase in mortalities.
"I am highly concerned that Omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases. This is and will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers, and health systems on the brink of collapse," said WHO chief Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Ghebreyesus also added that the number of healthcare workers falling ill is also a point of concern, and it will finally shatter the healthcare infrastructure.
Omicron variant creating worries in India
Meanwhile, Omicron cases in India, along with Delta are creating chaos in India. National Covid cases in India are doubling at a record pace.
On December 29, India witnessed over 13,000 fresh positive cases, registering a sharp rise of 44 percent over the previous day's figures. The state of Maharashtra recorded the highest daily rise in cases, with over 3,900 infections reported on Wednesday, followed by 2,846 and 1089 cases in Kerala and West Bengal respectively.
