Don't panic, but be vigilant: AIIMS Director Dr Guleria amid Omicron scare

In view of the rising Omicron cases across the country, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Wednesday advised people "not to panic, but to be vigilant" while extending New Year greetings.

In a video message posted by AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Guleria said, "Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2022. As we move forward, it is important for us to understand that the pandemic is not over, yet we are in a better position."

"We have a large number of people who are vaccinated, still we are witnessing increasing cases. Therefore, it is very important for us to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour including wearing masks, physical distancing, and avoiding crowds so that we do not have a super spreader anywhere," the AIIMS Director said.

Speaking about the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Dr Guleria said the current data showed that the Omicron variant is a mild variant and doesn't cause a significant fall in oxygen saturation, therefore, the requirement of oxygen may not be that much.

Further, he requested everyone not to unnecessarily waste oxygen cylinders and medicines which had happened earlier this year when the nation was facing an oxygen crisis.

"We as a nation are now better prepared to manage any surge in the cases that may happen because of the possible new wave. So I would like to reassure everyone that don't panic but you have to be vigilant. Make sure that you don't become a part of the chain of spreading the infection," he added.

Meanwhile, India reported 781 Omicron cases so far, informed Union Health Ministry on Wednesday. Delhi accounts for the highest number of Omicron cases (283), followed by Maharashtra (167), Gujarat (73), Kerala (65), Telangana (62), Rajasthan (46), Karnataka (34), Tamil Nadu (34), Haryana (12), West Bengal (11), Madhya Pradesh (9), Odisha (8), Andhra Pradesh (6), Uttarakhand (4), Chandigarh (3), Jammu and Kashmir (3), Uttar Pradesh (2), Goa (1), Himachal Pradesh (1), Ladakh (1) and Manipur (1).