Posted On: 2021-12-07 14:14:25
Just when the world is getting back on track after the Corona virus' catastrophe, a new mutant once again like Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta (considered as variants of SARS-CoV-2), OMICRON has emerged. After going through multiple lockdowns, declining economies, increasing poverty and losing numerous lives, a new threat is approaching. Since 2020, new variants of COVID-19 have been emerging, leading to many questions like- Are there new and different ways to stay safe from each variant? “How dangerous is this new variant? Are the existing vaccines effective for this variant?” And the list goes on.
Researchers worldwide are conducting various studies to understand the effectiveness, transmissibility and other aspects of Omicron.
Mutation
A mutation is an alteration in the genetic material (the genome) of a cell of a virus or of a living organism. It can be transmitted to the virus' descendants. Most of the time when viruses mutate, the following variants are weaker than the pathogen. There is a lot unknown and unconfirmed about Omicron; however, this one has been declared a 'variant of concern' by WHO as it has a large number of mutations and is easily transmissible.
Transmissibility
The first case of Omicron was detected on 24th November 2021, in South Africa and the positive cases rose rapidly since then. Studies by experts show that Omicron is more transmissible compared to other COVID-19 variants, yet the transmission compared to Delta is unknown. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.
Severity
The scenario so far shows that the variant is becoming a threat to the countries. As two distant countries announced their first cases and a third reported it’s presence before South African officials sounded the alarm. Initial studies of the new variant are not enough yet to declare Omicron as the most severe because understanding the severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks as it is newly discovered.
How Does Omicron Affect the Human body?
The Omicron variant strain of Coronavirus with 30 plus different mutations in the Covid-19 spike protein makes the process of it’s transmission easier. Scientists are clear that current evidence indicates- Omicron bypasses the immune system more aggressively than the other variants. The reason is yet to be known as the research is still going on.
From the research, what is learnt so far is that; compared with other variants – Omicron tends to reinfect more people who have been previously infected and have already received some protection by way of a vaccine against Covid-19.
Effectiveness of current tests on Omicron
RT-PCR is the widely used method of diagnosis for novel coronavirus variants as it identifies specific genes in the virus, like Spike (S), Enveloped (E) and Nucleocapsid (N) to confirm the presence of coronavirus.
In Omicron's case, the S gene is heavily mutated and a few primers may result in indicating the absence of the S gene. Undergoing research shows that a suspected case of Omicron requires a full genetic analysis, which can take up to a couple of weeks. Further studies regarding this aspect of Omicron will be released soon with time.
Effectiveness of current vaccines
Scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research-Nation have initiated efforts to isolate and grow the Omicron strain of the novel coronavirus to examine the effectiveness of the current tests for detecting the COVID-19 virus on Omicron. The examination will answer two questions - Can this variant impact the effectiveness of Covishield and Covaxin and Will it outfight existing antibodies in those who have been affected by COVID illness.
Preventive Measures for the New Variant
There is a range of methods that we should follow to prevent the spread of Omicron.
- Getting vaccinated to protect ourselves from severe illness and death. Vaccines also reduce virus circulation, reducing the chances for a new mutation that could hit us harder.
- Getting boosters to improve the vaccine effect in the body.
Along with vaccines, other preventive measures should be followed, like-
- Wearing well-fitting masks
- Maintaining physical/social distance
- Improving the ventilation of indoor spaces
- Avoiding crowded, confined and closed settings
- Regularly cleaning hands
- Coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow or tissue.
Spread of Omicron variant in the World
As per WHO's reports, Omicron has spread across 38 countries. No deaths reported till now.
-India detected 23 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Capital city Delhi.
- The Covid-19 positivity rate in South Africa has jumped by 24% since the Omicron variant was detected two weeks ago, according to the latest data from the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases Monday.
- Nepal has detected its first two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, reports released on 6th December 2021
- Nepal has detected its first two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the country's ministry of health and population said on Monday.
- At least 16 U.S. states have reported Omicron cases including New York, Washington and Massachusetts.- U.S. health officials
- A further 86 cases of the Omicron Covid variant have been reported in Britain.
It has been more than two years since we have learned about COVID and it’s variants. Let us be prepared and protect ourselves from any more threats related to this virus. Stay Safe and Wear a Mask.
Author : Anjali Patel
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