The Quint will speak to Dr K. Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India.
(Photo: The Quint)
In a conversation with The Quint on Saturday, 4 December, Dr K Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India elaborated on the Omicron variant of coronavirus and explained the impact of vaccination on the same, among other key concerns revolving around the new variant.
"It is very likely that the vaccines that we have been using as well as the other defence measures we have been using as well as the load of previous infections which have produced a considerable amount of immunity, all of them have been creating difficulty for the virus to transmit easily," he said.
When asked about how the Delta variant compare with the Omicron one, he listed a few caveats that one must note before comparing.
He said that the Omicron variant is quite infectious and responsible for many reinfections.
"Given the fact that many people have already been affected, many people have been vaccinated, the speed with which this particular virus is transmitting, not just in South Africa where the vaccination rates are not very high but in Europe where the vaccination rates are indeed high, suggests that this is indeed quite infectious and is responsible for many reinfections as well," he added.
Regarding the precautions that one should take to prevent Omicron, he said that people should mask up and move in well-ventilated areas.
Watch the full interview with Dr Reddy here.
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