The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Health Minister, Dasho Dechen Wangmo, advised the public to avoid mass gatherings during the festive week ahead, especially in the wake of the number of Omicron cases detected in many countries.
Lyonpo said the Omicron variant is expected to be the most dominant variant. Omicron’s spike protein has several mutations that are thought to make the virus highly transmissible or infectious, with increased risk of reinfection, even in a fully vaccinated population.
“When parts of the country detected the Delta variant, only one or two members of the family were infected with Delta and the rest didn’t get it. But with the Omicron variant, it is totally different from the Delta variant, if one person gets infected, it will take no time to spread in the community,” Lyonpo said.
The biggest worry for the country is protecting the unvaccinated people including children under 5 years, and the senior citizens.
Health Minister said the incubation period for the Omicron is very short, unlike the Delta variant.
Therefore, it is very important for every individual to be on the alert, and stick to non-pharmaceutical measures. No matter, whichever variants are in the country, wearing face masks, avoiding mass gathering and other safety measures will work, said Lyonpo.
She said each household has a child to protect, and so they must take the responsibility for them, if not for anybody.
