HomeNewsPoliticsIndia has 358 cases of Omicron strain, Maharashtra, Delhi top contributors, Health Ministry

India has 358 cases of Omicron strain, Maharashtra, Delhi top contributors, Health Ministry

The new variant has been found in 17 states so far with Maharashtra recording 88, highest number of cases among states followed by Delhi where 67 cases of Omicron have been recorded so far, according to the health bulletin issues by the ministry.

December 24, 2021 / 10:13 IST
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Omicron cases are on the rise in India. The variant is three times as contagious as the Delta variant.
Omicron cases are on the rise in India. The variant is three times as contagious as the Delta variant.

As many as 358 cases of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been so far recorded in India, the Union ministry of health and family affairs said on December 24.

The ministry said 114 of these patients have recovered from the viral disease.

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The new variant has been found in 17 states so far with Maharashtra recording 88, the highest number of cases among states followed by Delhi where 67 cases of Omicron have been recorded so far, according to the health bulletin issued by the ministry. Telangana has 38 cases while Tamil Nadu has 34 cases of the Omicron variant.

COVID-19 Vaccine
Frequently Asked Questions

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How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.
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