With a rising number of coronavirus Omicron cases reported across the whole world, starting a third wave of the pandemic in India, the chances are high that it will soon replace Delta as dominant global variant. The trend was already visible in the U.S. where Omicron has taken over Delta as the dominant strain. Omicron is nearly four to five times more infectious than Delta. That is because of mutations in the spike protein which make it easier for the cells to be attacked. Omicron is spreading with faster pace with very little consequences, except for the elderly population and those with comorbidities. Omicron will take a big toll on the vulnerable population with comorbid diseases. Meanwhile, it is a burden as it is causing devastating infections across the world, the World Health Organization has warned that Omicron should not be dismissed as “mild” variant. Increased transmission may lead to more hospitalizations which can lead to increase strain on frontline workers and health care systems and can result in more deaths. While people who recover from coronavirus disease 2019 may develop some natural immunity to the virus, how well the individual is protected from future genetic mutation of coronavirus is still a big question. The definitive evidence for increased remission and immune evasion and vaccine effectiveness is still awaited. This article will highlight few aspect of Omicron including increased transmission, immune evasion, hospitalization, mortality, vaccine effectiveness, and therapeutic drugs effective against the disease.

Background and objectives: Tobacco use is associated with cardiovascular, respiratory and peripheral vascular diseases. The short term effects of tobacco smoking on vital hemodynamic parameters and lipid profile of young smoker with increased quantity of smoking is still debatable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on vital hemodynamic parameters and lipid profile of young smokers. Materials and methods: The current study was an observational cross sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 18 months and included smokers and non-smokers. Data on vital hemodynamic parameters like blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation (SPO2) and lipid profile were collected. Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 80 smokers and 80 non-smokers were enrolled in the study. Blood pressure, heart rate and mean SpO2 were significantly (p<0.001) lower in non-smokers compared to smokers. Breath holding time (BHT) and single breath count (SBC) were higher in non-smokers. Mean values of total cholesterol (T-chol), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) were significantly (p<0.001) higher in smokers than non-smokers, while high density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly low in smokers. SBP, T -chol and TG significantly (p<0.05) increased as the quantity of smoking increased. Conclusion: Smoking is associated with derangement of vital hemodynamic parameters and lipid profile across the age. Anti-smoking campaign should be organized to discourage both personal smoking and smoking in public places. IMC J Med Sci. 2023. 17(1): 007. DOI : https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.17.007 *Correspondence: Bhupendra Kumar Jain, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, School of Chhindwara Institute Of Medical Sciences, Jabalpur Medical University, Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, India. Email: drbhupendrakjain@gmail.com

Background: Cigarette smokers have a lower level of pulmonary function and physical fitness than non-smokers. Very little information is available for the short-term effects of smoking to lungs of asymptomatic smokers. Aims and Objectives: The main focus of this study is to evaluate short duration toxic consequences of smoking to the lungs of asymptomatic smokers through spirometry and 6 min walk test (6MWT). Materials and Methods: The present study is an observational cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital which includes 160 individuals, 80 smokers and 80 non-smokers. The spirometric variables and 6MWT were performed to quantify smoking exposure. The whole statistics was analyzed using SPSS 21 and the mean between two groups was compared after applying standard Chi-square test. The means across more than 2 groups were compared after applying the standard analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Results: Most of lung function parameter such as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1%, FEV1/forced vital capacity % (FVC%), maximum mid-expiratory flow 25–75%, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), PEFR%, and maximum voluntary ventilation % is decreased significantly in asymptomatic smokers than non-smokers except FVC and FVC%. The 6MWT distance is also reduced gradually and significantly in asymptomatic smokers from 1–5 pack-years to 15–20 pack-years. Conclusion: Lung function parameters and 6MWT decreased significantly in asymptomatic smoker with increased quantum of pack-years. Therefore, early screening of high-risk smokers would lead to reduction of the clinical disease.