Now we all are well known about the Covid-19 and its effects and all. We are now habituated with that. But this 3rd wave and the new variant “Omicron” is spreading very fast. Let’s discuss it today.
Scientific Info
The Omicron variant is a mutation of the COVID-19 virus.
According to John Hopkins, it is common for RNA viruses to mutate over time, resulting in variations of the virus. It’s the same concept as the flu virus mutating into different strains.
Omicron has many concerning spike protein substitutions, some of which are known from other variants to be associated with reduced susceptibility to available monoclonal antibody therapeutics or reduced neutralization by convalescent and vaccine sera.
The spike protein of the Omicron variant is characterized by at least 30 amino acid substitutions, three small deletions, and one small insertion. Notably, 15 of the 30 amino acid substitutions are in the receptor-binding domain (RBD).
Why it is spreading fast?
It is the fastest variant that spread among the human body. There is a set of mutations that give it an advantage over the older variants.
Laboratory tests in South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States have shown that the ability of antibodies to prevent the variant from entering cells is weaker than that of other strains, giving Omicron a much greater chance of infecting previously vaccinated or infected people. The risk of reinfection with Omicron is 5.4 times higher than with Delta.
The advantages of Omicron mean that the interval between newly infected people infecting others seems shorter with Omicron, perhaps three days compared to six or more with Delta.
Symptoms of the variant
- Flu and cold symptoms
- headache
- Sore throat
- Runny nose.
Safety Precaution against Omicron
- Getting vaccinated
- Getting COVID-19 booster once eligible
- Wearing a mask
- Social distancing in indoor public spaces
- Avoiding indoor crowds
- Washing your hands and avoiding touching your face