KATHMANDU, Jan 6: Doctors have pointed out that people in Nepal who have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus, whose immune system is weak and who have not been previously infected, may be at risk from the Omicron variant.

At present, about a dozen people have been infected in Nepal with Omicron which has spread rapidly in the United States, India and other countries.

In such conditions, people who have not been vaccinated, whose immune system is weak and who have not been previously infected should follow the health safety standards and take precautions to avoid the risk of Omicron, said Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, coordinator of Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital's Research Branch.

The Ministry of Health and Population has instructed all COVID-19 hospitals to be on high alert following the rise of Omicron infection in various Indian states bordering Nepal. The ministry said it had already begun work to expand COVID-19 testing and make contact testing more effective, said Dr Sangita Mishra, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population.

“Although the Omicron is not as deadly as the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which previously caused a pandemic around the world, it can affect people with weak immune systems, so as a precaution the government should vaccinate everyone,” Pun said. "It may take another month for this variant, which is spreading rapidly in India, to take a higher form in Nepal. During this period, everyone should be vaccinated," he said.

 
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