Covid XBB.1.5 variant: Don’t step outside unnecessarily, expert asks people to ‘be cautious’
1 min read 02 Jan 2023, 07:05 AM ISTDr M Wali, Physician in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, has asked people to ‘follow Covid-appropriate behaviour’.
PremiumIndia does not have to worry about the new Covid variant of XBB.1.5 as 90% of its eligible population has been vaccinated 30-40% have administered booster doses, said Dr M Wali, Physician in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.
However, at the same time, Dr Wali asked people to "be cautious" and keep their elders and children isolated while advising against stepping outside unnecessarily. He suggested people to “follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and most importantly mask up".
Dr Wali emphasised the significance of immunity in fighting the virus, saying that a booster dosage, strong immunity, the initial infection and immunisation collectively reduce the virus' virulence. Infected individuals only need to be kept apart and their samples sent for genome sequencing; they do not need to be sent to a hospital.
Also Read: Is Omicron XBB.1.5 variant dangerous? 5 things you must know
Three foreign travellers, including those from China and Australia, were judged to be in good health, Dr. Wali said in reference to the overseas travellers carrying the Covid virus who arrived in Gujarat by plane from Australia and China. A woman and her fiancé were discovered to be infected in Rajkot. They were both travelling from abroad with their two-year-old kid.
Prior to departure, all overseas travellers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand to India are now required to submit RT-PCR reports. It will also be necessary starting on January 1, 2023 to upload a report to the Air Suvidha webpage.
Also Read: COVID-19 may reach human brain and stay for almost 8 months
Additionally, regardless of the point of departure, all overseas travellers were subjected to random 2% tests upon arrival in India. It was claimed that the test ought to have been done 72 hours after starting the trip to India. The choice was made in light of how the COVID-19 situation was changing across the globe, particularly in the aforementioned countries.
(With ANI inputs)
