COVID Threat Continues In Odisha With Prevalence Of Delta Variant: Senior Health Official

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been reporting a downward trend in daily COVID caseload, but the threat is not yet over,  Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra said on Saturday.

“Both Omicron and Delta variants are active in Odisha. Sample survey suggests the presence of Delta variant in 25-30 per cent samples. Since Delta variant causes more severity, the threat is not over yet. Therefore, there is a need to follow the COVID-appropriate behaviour despite the declining positivity rate,” said Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra.

While a sub-strain of Omicron, BA.2, is more prevalent in India during the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, Delta variant is present in only three states, including Odisha, the Union Health Ministry had said on Thursday.

Also Read: Delta Cases Only In Odisha, 2 Other States, Omicron Sub-Strain More Prevalent: Health Ministry

Notably, the last community samples analysis by Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, had revealed the presence of highly mutated and more transmissible Omicron in around 60 per cent of those collected randomly from 10 districts between January 9 and January 16.

Khurda district has the highest percentage (70) of Omicron prevalence followed by Cuttack (65), it added.

Also Read: No New Omicron Cases Reported In Odisha Since Jan 19; Know Why

On NeoCov, Mohaptra said, “The variant is only found in birds and the WHO has said there is no data of transmission of the variant from birds to humans,” he said.

A team of Wuhan researchers had found this new kind of coronavirus among bats in South Africa. The WHO said that the virus requires further study to ascertain if it poses a risk to humans. “Whether the virus detected in the study will pose a risk for humans will require further study,” the health body was quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS.

The Health Services director further added that the Odisha government will take a decision on restrictions in February after analysing all the information.