The new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has started to create panic around the world. Following a sudden spike in Omicron cases, several countries have updated and revamped their COVID guidelines, or have imposed partial lockdowns. Authorities are urging everyone to follow preventive measures to avoid contracting the virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have declared both the Delta and Omicron as the ‘variants of concern.’ However, it’s not clear that one is more severe and dangerous than the other.
India witnessed a tragic loss of life, during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. While many lost their lives, others continue to bear the ill-effects of the deadly infection. The Delta variant was said to have driven the second wave, it still remains a predominant strain and continues to infect many. In wake of the new COVID variant, Omicron, health experts have noticed a sudden rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, which could possibly become the driving source of the third wave. The third COVID wave could be expected between January and February 2022. However, experts believe the implications would be mild.
Though there is no surety how severe the new variant is, scientists and doctors suggest that it could be highly transmissible. The outcome of the genome sequencing has revealed that the Omicron variant is highly mutated as compared to the Delta variant. Omicron has over 30 mutations in the spike protein as compared to Delta, which has 18 mutations. Due to which, the new COVID variant is immune to the vaccine-induced antibodies, which will lead to more breakthrough infections.
Though COVID-19 vaccines have been successful in lessening the severity of the illness, people who have received both shots continue to be susceptible to the virus. Although it is too early to speculate experts suggest that Omicron has the ability to escape immunity, to both vaccines and natural infection.
Vaccine manufacturing companies have come forward and claimed that the available COVID-19 vaccines will be tweaked a bit.
Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here
Comments
0 comment