The Omicron variant of the coronavirus, first discovered in Botswana and South Africa in November, has spread around the world faster than any other known type of the coronavirus in recent weeks. While scientists are still learning a lot about it, the variant is already generating an increase in new cases, which could put some hospital systems at risk.
Omicron was initially identified by scientists thanks to a unique mix of more than 50 mutations. Some of these were found in earlier coronavirus types like Alpha and Beta, and prior research had shown that they may help a coronavirus spread quickly. Other mutations were reported to aid coronaviruses in evading vaccine-induced antibodies.
Is Omicron more quickly spread compared to other variants?
Yes. It has a two to three times greater chance of spreading than Delta.
The earliest proof of Omicron’s rapid proliferation came from South Africa, where it quickly rose to supremacy in province after province. Researchers in other nations have been able to catch Omicron earlier in its upswing, and the results are the same: It cases double every two to four days, far faster than Delta cases.
In order to have a better understanding of how well the virus spreads, British researchers looked at what transpired in the homes of 121 persons who had been infected with the variation. They discovered that Omicron was 3.2 times more likely than Delta to trigger a household illness.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of Omicron?
Preliminary data has revealed some symptom differences. One possible distinction is that the variant may be less prone than previous variations to produce taste and smell loss.
According to data provided by South Africa’s largest private health insurer, South Africans with Omicron frequently experience a scratchy or painful throat, nasal congestion, a dry cough, and muscle pain, particularly low back pain.
These are, however, all indications of Delta, as well as the original coronavirus. The symptoms of Omicron are likely to be more similar than different from those of Delta.
“There’s probably a huge amount of overlap between Omicron and the prior variants, because they are essentially doing the same thing,” said Dr. Otto O. Yang, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Do Vaccines Protect Against Omicron?
According to several studies, complete vaccination plus a booster dose provides excellent protection against the infection. Two doses of a vaccine like Pfizer-or BioNTech’s Moderna’s, on the other hand, provide substantially less protection without a booster. (However, two doses of a vaccine appear to protect against severe Omicron sickness.)
Scientists took blood from persons who had been properly vaccinated and combined it with Omicron in a petri dish containing human cells. Every vaccination tested so far has performed worse than previous variations at neutralizing Omicron. Antibodies from persons who got two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine don’t seem to work against Omicron at all.
Researchers discovered a different picture when they evaluated antibodies from persons who had received boosters of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. Antibodies that had been raised stopped numerous Omicron viruses from invading cells.
In a major analysis of over a million instances of Covid, British researchers discovered that those who had booster doses were 81 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital than people who had not been vaccinated. Those who had received two doses of the vaccine had a 65 percent lower probability of being admitted to the hospital for Omicron cases.