As we had all feared, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has now been detected in Bangladesh. Two players of the Bangladesh women's national cricket team, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week, have been infected with the Omicron variant. They are currently under observation in quarantine, and we hope they will make quick and full recovery.

This, however, should serve as a wake-up call for us all. On the first day of this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Omicron had been found in 24 countries. A week later, various international media outlets began to report that Omicron had spread to nearly 40 countries, which WHO confirmed as well. Meanwhile, the most recent reports suggest that the new variant has spread to close to 60 countries. That just goes to show how quickly this new variant has been spreading.

According to scientists, the Omicron variant is 4.2 times more transmissible in its early stage than Delta. That means that it is already far easier to spread—and could be even more so when it mutates further.

The economic damage done by the previous waves of Covid—particularly as the country was forced to go into lockdown—was massive. Our economy is yet to recover in any shape or form from that, which means the Omicron variant poses a clear and present danger to our economy, along with the health of our citizens. Therefore, if we continue to handle the situation lackadaisically, like we did during the previous waves, there is no doubt that Bangladesh is in for a bumpy ride ahead.

We hope that the authorities have learned from the mistakes that were made during the previous Covid waves. Instead of being reactive in its measures, the government has to be proactive in stopping the new variant from spreading in the country. That means it has to ensure strict monitoring and screening at the airports and at every other location through which people might be entering Bangladesh. And those entering the country should be placed into a minimum of 14 days of quarantine.

As recommended by experts, the genomic sequencing of every new case of Covid-19 should be done to limit the transmission of Omicron. Moreover, the government should make sure that all hospitals are ready and equipped to deal with any sudden spike in the number of infections, and also continue to enforce the health guidelines strictly—without exceptions.