Unfortunately, it appears that the Omicron variant has made its way to Pakistan. The National Institute of Health has announced that a total of 75 cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in the country so far.
The first case of the Omicron variant was reported on December 13 in Karachi. As of December 27, a total of 75 Omicron cases have been confirmed; 33 in Karachi, 17 in Islamabad and 13 in Lahore. The remaining 12 cases were associated with international travel. The NIH did not provide any further details.
The WHO warned that the Omicron variant was spreading faster than other coronavirus strains. The WHO chief regretted that Omicron was still considered a mild variant, and said that even if the infection it caused was less severe, the sheer volume of cases due to increased transmissibility could once more overburden health systems.
Omicron was first reported from southern Africa and has spread to 89 countries. The variant probably exists in other countries as well but has not been reported yet. Given the situation, Pakistan has good reason to be alarmed. We could be at the precipice of a breakout given that only a quarter of the population is fully vaccinated even though over 142 million vaccine doses have been administered.
So far, the government has done well to place restrictions on travellers from countries where a large number of cases are being reported. However, these restrictions will only be useful if they are strictly implemented by all tiers of government and aviation agencies.
If we act swiftly and remain vigilant, we can prevent this variant from causing a lot of damage across the country. Those who have tested positive with Omicron should be completely isolated to prevent transmission. Meanwhile, awareness campaigns must inform the public of the potential risks that lie ahead of a fifth wave to manifest in Pakistan.
It is imperative now more than ever that the government emphasises the importance of taking precautions because otherwise, we will revert back to a life dominated by lock-downs and extreme restrictions.
