Everything You Need to Know about Omicron

The World Health Organization or WHO announced on Friday about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, Omicron. The virus presently is circulated in countries South Africa, Europe, and Germany, but this virus's mutation took place in South Africa. According to the study, the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa had confirmed the presence of this virus. It detected the group of related viruses belonging to the lineage named B.1.1.529.

As per the early indications, it is believed that the variant is most likely to be even more transmissible than other viruses such as Delta, Alpha, etc., and the vaccines may not prove to be that effective against the virus. Initially, the variant was referred to as B.1.1.529 and has become an international concern due to its mutations. According to the preliminary evidence, it recommends that there is an enhanced reinfection risk with this variant. WHO system has assigned the Covid-19 variants a Greek letter to give the label that is non-stigmatizing which doesn't associate new variants with the location where they were first identified. The new virus is named Omicron by the world health organization.

How Did Omicron Emerge?

Scientists aren't exactly certain about the first surfacing of Omicron and were most probably surfaced in South Africa. According to the professionals, low vaccination rates in different parts of the world are possibly the reason to create the pleasant atmosphere for the mutations that led to forming Omicron. Various countries in Africa have very little immunity, and only 30% of people are vaccinated in South Africa. The virus has an efficiency of sweeping through, and every new individual infected raises the probability for the virus to mutate in a largely non-immune population.

What Is Known About Omicron's Degree Of Infectiousness?

The variant of Omicron is very much new, and there is no appropriate information about the virus. Scientists are just getting to learn about the attributes of this virus. This is why scientists are constantly trying to draw attention and caution to prevent the virus from spreading. They have also stated that it will not shock if the virus is transmissible as fast as the Delta variant. The answer is not sure, but it seems as if it will be infectious similar to Delta. One main critical factor is that the primary area of quickest spread is in the Johannesburg area, which is filled with young grown-ups and college students. This is the population with lower rates of vaccination.

What Are The Symptoms Of Omicron?

According to the general practitioner in South Africa, the scientists have claimed that it would need around two weeks to comprehend the severity of this virus. He stated that the patients are experiencing mild symptoms, and nothing major symptoms are noticeable. They are flu-like symptoms that include fever, dry coughs, night sweats, body pains, etc.

Here Are The Main Symptoms Which Omicron Patients Are Experiencing Up Till Now:

• Patients infected with this Covid-19 variant show extreme tiredness, and it is not restricted to any age group.
• As per the reports, it is identified that there aren't any cases of any severe drop in the levels of oxygen saturation. A major decrease in oxygen level was observed in India among the patients during the second wave of coronavirus.
• Patients of Omicron are experiencing mild muscle pains, dry cough, and a scratchy throat.
• There are very few people who are experiencing high temperatures.
• The majority of people are recovering without the need for hospitalization.

Are Vaccines Helpful In Protecting Against Omicron?

It will be soon to tell, but that doesn't mean it should be any reason for panic, and it only implies that the scientists are constantly working to find out this. Since the Omicron is mutating fast, it could lead to evading vaccine-induced security. According to Bancel, he has anticipated that within the coming few weeks, they can be clear after testing the antibodies from vaccinated people and observing if they have the efficiency to neutralize the virus.

However, even if Omicron can prevent the antibodies, these vaccines can still protect against severe illness. So, WHO has constantly been urging and warning the internationals to make sure that the population is vaccinated as soon as possible to fight against the virus.

What Are The Precautions For The Omicron Virus?

The World Health Organization has been urging the country's government officials to release statements announcing to take precautions as much as the citizens can to stop the spread of this new variant. So, people have to understand the severity of this virus and must be more alert beforehand. There is no proper information available about this virus yet, and scientists are doing research and studies to understand this virus more precisely. It is very important to follow the guidelines like before, such as hand sanitization, maintaining social distance, staying indoors, and do your Covid test to avoid spreading of this Virus.

Conclusion

Experts now have come to the conclusion or should we say they believe that it is impossible that the coronavirus will ever be eradicated from the globe like other diseases such as smallpox or polio. The only saviour is to keep researching and tracking the mutations of this virus annually and developing the boosters that can help fight against this dangerous virus.

Countries have again started to ban flights from South Africa since it is where the surfacing of Omicron was observed. But it is important to understand that travel bans cannot entirely prevent the virus from entering the nations.

However, it can help in delaying the entry and giving time to come up with the preparations. All in all, the only help available is us because of no right information available till then countries and its citizens have to cooperate in every way they can, so that fighting against the virus becomes safe.

Disclaimer:

The blog content has been posted as a piece of information and awareness only. The content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not proposed and should not be taken as medical advice. Redcliffe Labs strongly recommends users to consult with their health care providers to make any medical or health-related decision.