India Fears A New COVID-19 Wave As Omicron Infections Spread

 

CNN: As Omicron spreads in India, mass gatherings spark fears of another wave 

New Delhi (CNN)Doctors in India are bracing for a potential third wave driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, as cases rise and political leaders hold mass gatherings ahead of key elections. 

In the past week, India's Omicron case numbers have more than tripled, with 781 infections now recorded, compared to 236 last Tuesday. It may not seem that many in a nation of 1.3 billion people, but the variant's rapid spread in other countries -- several of which are now seeing dramatic surges -- is enough to make health experts nervous. 

And the real number of Omicron cases is likely higher than official figures due to insufficient testing.

"If India observes the same pattern as the United Kingdom, and if we compare the population of both countries, 80,000 daily cases in the UK would mean around 1.4 million daily Covid cases in India," said VK Paul, head of the country's Covid Task Force, at a news conference on December 17.  

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India Fears A New COVID-19 Wave As Omicron Infections Spread 

India fears new COVID wave as Omicron infections spread -- Al Jazeera  

Omicron spreading fast, Delta still dominant strain: Centre -- Times of India  

India must prepare for Omicron surge; no need to panic, says WHO's Soumya Swaminathan -- CNBCtv18   

India records first ‘Omicron death’ -- The Times of India