Insight Bureau: The Director of Institute of Life Sciences, Ajay Parida on Saturday said that almost 60% of the Covid-19 cases being tested are of the Omicron variant in Odisha.

Around 98% of total positive cases are Omicron related while only 2% cases are related to Delta variant of coronavirus in Delhi, Parida said.

People vaccinated against COVID-19 are less hospitalized because of the Omicron variant than those infected with the earlier Delta variant, he said.

Earlier on January 15, Odisha reported 32 new Omicron cases taking the tally of the new strain of coronavirus in Odisha to 202.

The new variant is taking over the place of the earlier Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India.

The Omicron variant is highly transmissible as compared to Delta but it is significantly less severe than other strains of Covid-19.