Has threat of Omicron gone away from India? Here's what Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal has to say

Even as Omicron cases are not on a rise in India, the Health Ministry on Monday said that the threat of the covid variant has not gone away from the country.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said India has been able to successfully manage as high as 23 times better than the world's overall management of COVID-19 when it comes to saving precious lives.

Further he said that India has provided vaccines to 99 countries across the world.

"India completed 250 million doses in 145 days, right now, I'm proud to highlight that we have completed 1.81 billion doses of vaccination," the joint health secy added.

"We gave QR coded digital certificates to every citizen for every COVID-19 dose delivered. We have not leveraged technology, we have leveraged human resources in this country, which worked with commitment," Lav Agarwal said.

Notably, two days ago, eminent Virologist and Former Professor, Christian Medical College (CMC )Vellore Dr T Jacob John had said that the chances of the fourth COVID-19 wave are low, however, he stressed the need to remain vigilant.

Dr John said, "the chances of the fourth COVID-19 wave is low but nobody can predict it will not happen." He added, "there is no scientific, epidemiological reason to predict a fourth COVID-19 wave but nobody can predict that it will not happen. I can say the probability is extremely low." He further stressed that it is important to be vigilant and cautious. There is a need to keep looking at the viruses and their genetic sequences and see if there are any new variants appearing and if any variants are overtaking Omicron locally in more places, he added.

Dr John also said that he doesn't believe in predicting waves based on mathematical modelling.

As China reported a spike in COVID-19 cases he said, "we need not worry about what's happening there because the contexts are extremely different. China had a zero COVID policy. They aggressively tested, quarantined and kept the curve suppressed for a long time and so now Omicron is unstoppable, catches in Hong Kong, New Zealand, China, wherever the previous in Taiwan everywhere."