5 keys known today about the Omicron variant that already affects 110 countries

More than 276 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the outbreak began two years ago. More than 5.3 million deaths have been reported, and now the origin and spread of the omigran variant of the corona virus is affecting the evolution of the epidemic. That variation was discovered last November, and According to the World Health Organization, it has already been detected in samples of Covit-19 patients in 110 countries. Even more worrying: Govt-19 exposure to மூலம்micron doubles in communities that spread in two or three days.

In an update to the technical report on the Omigron variant, the WHO said today that the rate of infection – that is, the weekly reported COVID-19 cases – was the first time the variant had been detected in one of the South African provinces. .. He noted that data on infections in South Africa, the UK and Denmark, compared with the Delta, suggest a lower risk of hospitalization in patients with omigran variation., Although the health agency makes it clear that it takes these data with caution.

On November 26, following the recommendation of its Technical Advisory Committee on the Evolution of the Virus, the WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 as a worrying variant. The variant got the name micron. This is a very different variant with a large number of mutations in spike protein, ranging from 26 to 32 mutations. Some of these mutations may be associated with humorous immune escape and increased proliferation.

As of December 22, 2021, the Omicron variant has been detected in 110 countries in six regions of the world, except Antarctica. “Current knowledge of variance is constantly evolving as more data become available,” the health agency said. Its latest technical report provides updated initial data on key aspects of variability, severity and impact variability in interventions such as diagnosis, treatment modalities and vaccines, and outlines a set of priority measures for governments.

According to the WHO, the global threat posed by Ómicron largely depends on four key issues. An important point is the transfer rate of the variance. Other factors include the effectiveness of vaccines and previous protection against infection, transmission, medical disease and death; The severity of the variance compared to other types; And how people understand this dynamic, perceive risk and follow control measures, including social and public health measures. Public health councils are based on current information and will be modified as more evidence emerges around these key issues. Here are 5 answers to what the WHO knows today about the Omigron variant:

1- Is the Omigron variant more contagious?

There is consistent evidence that Ómicron has significant growth advantage over delta. It spreads faster than the delta variant in countries with documented social distribution, with a doubling time of 2-3 days. But estimates of South Africa’s growth rate are declining, largely driven by falling rates in Gauteng province.

“It is uncertain to what extent the rapid growth rate observed since November 2021 may be due to immunosuppression or increased intrinsic proliferation, but it may be a combination of the two. At the time of writing this report, estimates of the time to develop Omigron are still needed to better understand the observed dynamics,” WHO experts wrote.

2- If people are affected by Omigran variant, are they at higher risk for serious disease?

Data on the clinical severity of omigran-infected patients are increasing, but still low, according to the United Nations Health Organization. Preliminary data from South Africa, the UK and Denmark suggest that Omigron has a lower risk of hospitalization compared to Delta. “However, the risk of hospital admission is a factor that can be altered by admission procedures. Additional data are needed from different countries to understand how severity clinical indicators such as oxygen use, mechanical ventilation, and mortality are related to Omigran. It is not yet clear if the reduction in risk of hospital admission may be due to immunity to previous infections or vaccines and to what extent Ómicron may be less malignant.

3- What about the safety of vaccines against micron?

Preliminary data from several peer-reviewed studies suggest that individuals receiving the Govit-19 vaccination schedule or those with a previous corona virus infection have a lower risk of neutralizing titers against Omigran. What else, The increased risk of relapse in the UK and United Kingdom and the increasing trend of relapse cases in Denmark and Israel may have contributed to the immune evasion against Omigran.

To date, data on the efficacy or efficacy of the Omigran vaccine are scarce and there is no peer-reviewed evidence. Preliminary results of vaccine efficacy studies (negative test design) from South Africa and the United Kingdom have been published. Since the designs may be subject to selection bias and the results are based on relatively small numbers, the initial data available should be explained with caution, they clarified.

Following the development of two-dose vaccines by Fischer and Bioendech in collaboration with AstraGeneca at the University of Oxford, the UK results indicate a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the symptomatic vaccine in the case of Omigran compared to Delta.

“However, there was more performance in two weeks After the booster of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, it was slightly lower or comparable to the Delta. In a non-reviewed study conducted by South African researchers using data from private health insurance, Pfizer reduced the effectiveness of the bioentech vaccine against infection and, to a lesser extent, against hospitalization, ”they said.

4- Are Tests Effective in Diagnosing Covit-19 Diseases by Ómicron?

Yes. The diagnostic accuracy of commonly used antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests and PCR ratings does not appear to be affected by Omicron. Studies on the relative sensitivity of antigen tests are ongoing. “Most of the reported Omigron variant sequences include a deletion of the S gene, which in some PCR estimates will cause the failure of the S gene target (SGTF). Dismissal can also be found in other types of anxiety. (For example, subgroups of alpha and gamma and delta) spread around the world at low frequencies, ”they explained.

5- Are the treatments still effective?

That is expected Interventions for the management of acute or critical covit-19 patients associated with omicron, such as corticosteroids and interleukin-6 receptor blockers, may continue to be effective. However, “initial data on peer-reviewed publications Suggests that some monoclonal antibodies developed against SARS-CoV-2 corona virus may have reduced neutralization against omigran. Monoclonal antibodies must be tested separately for antigen binding and virus neutralization, and these studies should be a priority, ”they said.

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