'Impractical' to think Omicron will result in severe disease, death in India: Experts

New Delhi, Dec 3 Although Omicron is predicted to cause more breakthrough infections, it is "impractical and impossible" that it will infect huge numbers in India, and result in severe disease and death, if proper measures are taken, experts said on Friday.

The new Omicron variant of Coronavirus is touted to be highly transmissible due to the presence of more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. The variant harbours a high number of mutations in regions of the spike protein that antibodies recognise, potentially dampening their potency.

"Though Omicron has many more mutations, there are many viral surface particles which are not yet mutated. The people who have some kind of immunity towards the viral surface proteins will have more or less some amount of protection against the new Omicron variant as well," Dipu T.S, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Amrita Hospital, told .

"So, though breakthrough infections are possible, the chances of Omicron infecting huge numbers at a go is impractical and impossible in the best scenario and the curve will have to go up slowly," he added.

During the first wave of Covid-19 in India, in April 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research

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