Are frontline health workers prepared for Omicron?

Healthcare entities will have to be ready to cope with likelihood of hike in Omicron cases in Jan-Feb, says state Covid task force member

When Covid-19 first struck in early 2020, it turned out to be a trial by fire for frontline health workers completely weighed down by the severity and the sheer number of cases.

More than one-and-a-half years later, a new variant – Omicron -- has raised its head, and the frontline health workers are pulling up their socks, preparedness being their watchword.

But by all accounts, how prepared is the healthcare system in Karnataka?

"At this juncture, given the rising number of Omicron cases in countries like South Africa and the UK, the Government of India has already given necessary directions to hospitals, healthcare professionals, and associations to raise awareness about Covid-appropriate behaviour which comprises two doses of vaccination coupled with mask, ventilation, social distancing, and hand hygiene,” Dr Vishal Rao, member of the Genomic Surveillance Committee of the state Covid Task Force, said.

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"In addition, healthcare entities will have to be ready to cope with the likelihood of a hike in Omicron cases in January-February 2022 in the guiding light of the experience of the second wave, as also further intensify the vaccination drive pan India," he said.

On Thursday, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar had said that five more cases of the Omicron variant were detected in the state which took cases with Omicron strain in the state to eight.

Already, the state government has increased the availability of both oxygenated and ICU beds in most hospitals, Dr Rao said.

“The state government has also increased capacity building and training of ICU staff and critical care teams in collaboration with various associations like the IMA and Karnataka Pulmonary Association.”

For frontline health workers, being more exposed to the virus translates into increased stress and added anxiety as well.

With children yet to be vaccinated, the fears of parents can’t get more real and concerns about the new strain in children are palpable.

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Meanwhile, the state government has constituted a third wave committee comprising experts from paediatrics and critical care pulmonology who will play a crucial role in close monitoring and analysis of cases, Dr Rao said. “Besides that, all hospitals will assume the role of a vigilante in proactively sharing with the government the trends and patterns of, as also changes in, symptoms and severity of cases based on age groups and other key factors as actionable input for decision making.”

Moreover, he informed that the genomic surveillance committee will also continue to sequence samples to identify any new variants emerging during this critical phase.

Dr Nikhil Swamy, a specialist in a Critical Care Unit in a Bengaluru hospital said, “yes and no” when asked how well-prepared the frontline health workers are to meet Omicron cases.

“We have gone through two waves of Covid and the government is taking firm steps to re-train health workers and we are physically and mentally sufficiently prepared. However, given the staff attrition at various levels, we may still be underprepared from a manpower point of view," he said.

As the Omicron cases rose, the IMA had demanded Covid-19 booster doses for healthcare and frontline workers.

Dr Swamy feels that at this point, the best booster is probably giving a shot of vaccine for an unvaccinated neighbour as “we haven't yet achieved vaccination for 50-60% of our population”.

He said that studies have shown that the vaccine is effective in preventing severe illness up to 12 months after vaccination. “Since we aren't yet post 12 months of our vaccination programme, right now it would make more sense to target shots for the unvaccinated.”

“Beyond 12 months, however, if a booster for the individual does come into play, then yes, we should take it," he noted.

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