Omicron in India: Survey reveals Indians refuse to wear masks

According to a recent poll performed by the digital community platform LocalCircles, one in every three Indians believes that most individuals in their neighbourhood do not even wear masks when they leave their homes.  

Despite worries about detecting Omicron variants in the country, mask compliance remains poor in India, with just 2% of polled individuals reporting that people in their town, city, or district are complying well with mask-wearing requirements.  According to a recent poll performed by the digital community platform LocalCircles, one in every three Indians believes that most individuals in their neighbourhood do not even wear masks when they leave their homes.

The poll, conducted in April, garnered over 25,000 answers from residents living across India's 364 districts. It was also stated that 29% of citizens assessed mask compliance as high. In September, this number fell to 12%, and by November, it had decreased to barely 2%. The need of the hour is to educate the public on the efficacy of masks, since two out of every three Indians continue to wear cloth masks that provide only modest protection against COVID-19.

LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia said that the central government, state governments, and district administrations must implement all possible mechanisms to raise awareness about mask compliance in light of the Omicron variant and impose the necessary penalties to drive this compliance. If two people in an enclosed area are not wearing masks, the sick person may transfer the virus to the other person in about 10 minutes; however, if both are wearing a fitting N-95 mask, transmission takes over 600 hours, he added.

The World Health Organization classified the Omicron version, which has scientists and epidemiologists worldwide concerned, as a variant of concern earlier this week after it was discovered in three nations. In less than a week, Omicron has been found in over 40 nations, with India reporting its first two instances in Karnataka.