Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : November 27, 2021 7:36 PM IST
FAQs About Omicron
Almost after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is about to tackle a new coronavirus variant, which is believed to be more dangerous than the previous ones. The new strain, recently named Omicron, is inspected to be even more transmissible than the delta variant. In fact, it can increase the risk of reinfection compared with other highly transmissible variants, meaning that people who have already contracted and recovered from COVID can catch the virus again.
The discovery of the new coronavirus variant forced nations across the world to halt air travels, markets to fall and scientists to weigh the risks associated with the new variant. The variant was given the name "omicron" by a World Health Organization panel, and it was classed as a highly transmissible 'variant of concern', the same category as the delta strain. It was formerly known as the 'B.1.1.529' strain. The WHO believes the variety poses a bigger risk than delta, which is the most common variant in the world and led to a massive surge on every continent.
Medical experts have warned against an overreaction, people are concerned as the fear of the virus that took the lives of more than 5 million people around the globe continues to haunt them.
First reported in South Africa, Omicron has also been identified in Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. Following this, a flurry of nations around the world has decided to ban or restrict travel to and from southern Africa.
Britain also announced that all flights from South Africa and its neighbours will be prohibited late Thursday night. Japan, Israel, Turkey, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries that have tightened travel restrictions. Meanwhile, Australia's Channel 7 television reported that the government will announce fresh travel restrictions later on Saturday.
The new variant of the coronavirus, known as B.1.1.529, has been identified in South Africa, causing concern among scientists, who fear that this new strain could fuel outbreaks in several countries and cripple health systems once more.
Also, the new COVID variant is believed to have more mutations than Delta the variant that wreaked havoc around the world in 2020-21. As per reports, B.1.1.529 has many mutations in its spike protein, which is important for the virus's entry into human cells. The B.1.1.529 variant has 50 mutations in total, with more than 30 of them affecting the spike protein, which is the target of most current Covid vaccines. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that determining the impact of the new variation will take a few weeks. It is the most severely mutated variant yet, according to scientists, which implies vaccines based on the original strain from Wuhan, China, may not be as effective.
In a statement on Friday, Pfizer and BioNTech have stated that they are unsure if their vaccinations will protect against the new COVID-19 strain 'Omicron.' They also stated that a new vaccine against the strain would be developed within 100 days. "We understand the concern of experts and have immediately initiated investigations on variant B.1.1.529."
Meanwhile, The US pharmaceutical company Moderna announced on Friday that it will develop a booster shot to combat the new Omicron coronavirus type. It's one of three tactics the business is pursuing to combat the new threat, which also includes increasing the dose of its current vaccine, the statement said.
According to the Centre, no cases of the new Covid-19 variant have been documented in India as of yet. However, according to news agency ANI, Dr Sanjay Rai, centre for community medicine at AIIMS, noted that the new strain has a high chance of bypassing your existing protection, which you may have gained through immunizations or natural infection. "It is a new variant. We need to wait and watch. We do not know its overall infectivity but the probability is that it may bypass your existing immunity either acquired through vaccines or natural infection. If it bypasses, it will be a serious issue," he said.
Dr Samiran Panda, the head of the Indian Council of Medical Research's epidemiology and communicable diseases branch, said mRNA vaccines against Covid might not be effective against Omicron based on the facts provided thus far. He told HT that mRNA vaccines target the interaction of spike proteins and receptors. As a result, mRNA vaccines will need to be adjusted to account for the already observed changes. However, not all immunizations are the same. Covishield and Covaxin produce immunity by presenting antigens to our system in different ways. More research is required to know whether vaccines will work against the virulent new strain.
The Indian government has also requested that states exercise prudence and expedite the testing of overseas travellers, particularly those arriving from Africa. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan sent a letter to all additional secretaries, principal secretaries, and secretaries of health in all states and union territories yesterday, urging them to follow the Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate guidelines to the letter. All international travellers leaving from or travelling through these countries are subject to "rigorous screening and testing," according to the Health Secretary.
Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, requested a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday, amid growing fears over the new COVID-19 variant discovered in African countries. CM Kejriwal further stated that the Delhi government will take all necessary precautions to ensure that everyone is protected. He is also asked the specialists to provide a presentation on how to deal with the new variety and recommend what steps the Delhi government should take.
"In view of the threat from new COVID variant from African countries, we have requested experts to make a presentation to DDMA on Mon and suggest what steps we shud take. We will take all steps necessary to protect u and ur family," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.
(with inputs from agencies)
