How complacent attitude towards Omicron could cost you dearly

Since early reports started coming indicating less severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant, a large population is under the illusion that the disease is nothing more than the common cold. Some have even suggested that why take precautions as due to the faster spread of the disease due to the Omicron variant, everybody is going to be infected. Here are the reasons why one should not be complacent about the current wave of Coronavirus.

Omicron could make you severely ill
Research has indicated that Omicron in most cases causes an asymptomatic infection or mild Coronavirus. However, in some cases the Omicron is found to have affected those people badly who are unvaccinated or those who are suffering from some comorbidities. In fact, in most countries where the Omicron variant has spread the disease, a number of deaths have also been reported. Virus expert Michel Nussenzweig of Rockefeller University told news agency Reuters that he agrees that sooner or later everybody will get exposed but later will be better as time progresses the world will have better weapons including medicine, vaccine and other treatments to cure you from the disease.

Your complacency might cost vulnerable dearly
Even if the vaccinated and young population are unlikely to experience severe symptoms of the disease, there are chances that such people might spread the disease to people who are vulnerable including elders, people suffering from comorbidities and children who remain unvaccinated. Akiko Iwasaki, who studies viral immunology at USA’s Yale University told Reuters that even those who have mild symptoms can pass on the disease and virus to others.

Long-term effects of Omicron are not known
As seen in the previous waves of Coronavirus, once a person contracts the disease the lingering weakness and other deficiencies in the body persist for weeks and a few patients have suffered from the disease for months. It also remains unclear whether the Omicron variant will cause any silent effects seen with the previous variants including self-attacking antibodies, sperm impairment, and changes in the insulin-generating cells.

Hospitalisation is increasing
It must be pointed out that the peak of Omicron variant in most of the Indian states has not arrived and there are many states which are yet to experience the Omicron-fuelled surge in the number of Coronavirus cases. Even though the majority of people infected with the Omicron variant are not going to be severely ill but still the absolute number of people who might need hospitalisation might get pretty large as the virus is spreading at a very fast pace.