As India witnesses a steep surge in Covid-19 cases and its Omicron variant, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Lav Aggarwal emphasised home isolation to deal with it and advised people to rely on only authentic sources of information and avoid creating a panic situation as the infection caused by Omicron variant is mild.

Addressing a virtual meeting, Aggarwal said, "One must only trust the authentic source of information, not any information that might create panic. We should become more responsible collectively." "Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of Covid-19 infection is 70 times more transmissible in nature; however, it is a milder infection that requires home isolation at large and lesser hospitalisation," he said. The Joint Secretary further informed that the Government of India stresses home isolation for dealing with the Omicron variant and they have reduced its time from 10 days to seven days.