Best way to tackle Omicron: Social distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitisation
Get vaccinated urges Dr Shyamjai
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 24 2021:
National Health Mission, State Mission Director Dr N Shyamjai has urged the people who have not vaccinated against COVID-19 to take full dose of the vaccine so as to prevent a possible third wave of the pandemic and in view of the rising cases of Omicron variant in the country.
Speaking exclusively to The Sangai Express, Dr Shyamjai continued that utmost precautionary measures should be taken up to avoid Covid infections during this festive season as many are returning to Manipur from other States and beyond.
As per World Health Organisation guidelines, the best way to tackle Omicron is vaccination and SMS-social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitisation of hands, the doctor said.
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Maintaining that Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggests ramping up of RT-PCR testing for prompt and early identification of Covid cases, Dr Shyamjai added that at least 60 to 70 percent of samples collected for Covid testing should be done via RT-PCR according to the Ministry.
He further stated that the State is planning to instal RT-PCR machine in at least eight another districts of Manipur namely Jiribam, Bishnupur, Chandel, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Senapati, Thoubal and Churachandpur by January next year.
Imphal East and Imphal West already have RT-PCR testing facilities.
"As Omicron variant spreads three times faster than Delta, social gathering should be made as minimal as possible and those unvaccinated lots should be given full doses of Covid vaccine at the shortest possible time," he suggested.
The State Mission Director mentioned that headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat are the symptoms of the Omicron variant.
As per the Government of India, the State has 23,41,000 adult population who are eligible for vaccination while the figure published by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manipur in November was 19,68,476, the doctor said and maintained that there could be a rise in the figure of CEO Manipur as it was counted from the voters' list.
Saying that altogether 22,88,723 people have taken Covid vaccine in Manipur of which 9,72,324 are fully vaccinated against the contagion, Dr Shyamjai continued that Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, Chandel, Thoubal and Churachandpur are the districts which have vaccinated over 60 percent of its adult population.
The vaccination rate is low at the majority of hill districts as Kamjong, Pherzawl, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul and Senapati have only vaccinated roughly 35 percent of its eligible population.