The notion that Omicron is a natural vaccine is a "dangerous idea" spread by irresponsible people who don't take into account "long Covid" about which very little is understood, experts have said.
The Omicron variant of Covid-19, which is said to be much more infectious than the other variants, is, however, causing milder infections, less hospitalisation and deaths which is leading to the notion that it can act as a natural vaccine. Recently, a Maharashtra health official also claimed that Omicron will act as a natural vaccine and may help in Covid-19's progression towards the endemic stage.
Noted virologist Shahid Jameel , the former head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INASACOG), said those who advocate this don't take into account "long Covid" about which very little is understood. "Especially in India, where malnutrition, air pollution and diabetes are rampant, to willingly let people be exposed to a virus about which you understand little is not good science and public health," he said, as per a news agency.
Giridhara R Babu, the head of Lifecourse Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, urged people to stay away from this misinformation, saying there have been deaths and hospitalisations due to the Omicron variant.
“Compared to vaccination, natural infection cannot protect the population (against death or hospitalisation) against any variant (Alpha, Beta,
Gamma or Delta). Proponents of herd immunity are saying it again that Omicron would provide herd immunity.
Evidence matters, not opinions," he said.
Shuchin Bajaj, founder-director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, cautioned about the long term effects of the disease.
"It has been shown that it can be seen persisting for more than six months in various other organs in addition to lungs, like heart and brain and kidneys etc, even after very mild infections. So we don't really know what long term effects it can cause. We are already seeing a lot of long COVID patients with brain fogging, inappropriate sinus tachycardia," he said as per the news agency.