Thiruvananthapuram : The Covid Expert Committee in the sate has warned that the new variant, Omicron, one of concern, is spreading rapidly through air. The committee has warned people to be extra vigilant. They recommended that increase the number of samples sent for genetic grading. Discussions were also held on inoculating the population with a third dose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and South African experts who first identified the variant had earlier warned of its high contagious rate. The panel of experts reported to the state government that the potential for omicron to spread rapidly through the air was evident. The report mandates wearing a mask and avoidance of crowded areas.

Dr. T.S. Aneesh noted that the variant can infect a person five time more than that of the Delta variant. Omicron also has a fivefold increase in the R factor compared to Delta. It is estimated that a person carrying the Omicron variant can transmit the disease to an average of 20 or 30 people.

The committee also recommended that though the decision on the third dose vaccine is to be taken by the Central Government, the matter should be discussed urgently in the committees represented by the State in the present scenario. The panel also recommended an increase in the number of samples. The samples are sent to the Delhi-based Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology for testing.