Vaccination, Covid appropriate behaviour must to protect from Omicron variant: VC Dr Kalra
Bhavya Pandey & Muskan Singh
Gurugram, December 6
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, SGT University organised a continuous medical education (CME) on ‘OMICRON’- a new Covid-19 variant of concern. This CME was inaugurated by Prof. (Dr.) O.P. Kalra, Vice Chancellor, SGT University and he delivered key note address emphasizing the need for vaccination, COVID appropriate behaviour and use of mask.
Dr. Manisha Khandait, Prof. and Head of the Department, Microbiology presented an update on virology of OMICRON- a new COVID-19 variant of concern meaning thereby that this virus spreads 25 times faster than the earlier variants and is spreading very fast.
Since, November 24, when the first case of OMICRON was identified in South Africa, till now, hundreds of cases have been reported including more than dozen in India. Dr. Madhulekha Bhattacharya, Prof. and Head of Department, Community Medicine deliberates on epidemiology of OMICRON and ill effect of long COVID-19. She emphasized the difficulty in diagnosis of this variant which can escape RT-PCR testing.
Dr.Ankit Aggarwal, assistant professor, Department of pulmonary medicine provided the details on current management of OMICRON and informed the house that this virus may even affect the person who has been fully vaccinated.
These lectures were followed by a panel discussion where the participants actively interacted with the panelists.
Dr. Sansar Chand Sharma, Dean, Faculty of medicine and health sciences, SGT University informed the house about creation of COVID-19 Skill Lab in the premises of Simulation Lab in SGT University where the health care providers including doctors, nurses, etc, will be trained for the management of COVID-19 diseases. He, further informed the participants that 100 beds have been ear -marked for the treatment of this new variant, 21 ventilators out of 28 will be available for COVID-19 critically lll patients.
A team of doctors from the department of anaesthesia, pulmonary medicine and paediatrics have been created who will train the doctors and nurses for the management of COVID-19 (OMICORN) patients. The CME was attended by 110 health care providers including faculty members, resident doctors and nursing staff.
