The new variant of COVID-19 has started to wreak havoc around the world. Following a sudden increase in the number of Omicron cases, several countries have updated their COVID guidelines. They have imposed blockades and are urging everyone to follow preventive measures.
Both the Delta and the Omicron have been declared “variants of concern”
Since Mexico has previously struggled with and survived the implications of a deadly variant, experts are now concerned about the new variant of COVID that is said to be highly communicable. Both the Delta and the Omicron have been declared “variants of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it remains to be seen whether one is more severe and dangerous than the other.
The Delta variant, said to have fueled the third wave, remains a predominant strain and continues to infect many. It was first discovered in India and currently exists in many of the countries.
In light of the new variant of COVID, Ómicron, experts have seen a sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, which could indicate the possibility of a third wave.
Based on recent findings, a fourth wave of COVID could be expected early next year between January and February 2022. However, experts believe the implications will be slight.
How do the two variants compare?
While it is not known how severe the new variant B.1.1.529 is, scientists and doctors suggest that it could be highly transmissible. Considering the sudden increase in the number of COVID cases in such a short time, the variant is believed to be highly communicable.
The result of genome sequencing reveals that the Omicron variant is more mutated compared to the Delta variant. It is said to have more than 30 mutations in the tip protein compared to 18 found in the Delta.
This is believed to make the new COVID variant immune to vaccine-induced antibodies, leading to more infections.
Omicron’s symptoms are ‘mild’ so far
When it comes to symptoms, initial reports revealed by Dr. Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, who also happens to be the first person to discover the Omicron variant, suggested that Omicron’s symptoms were ‘unusual’ but ‘slight.
According to the doctor, people infected with Omicron report only mild symptoms such as fatigue, body aches and throat “itchy” rather than a sore throat. There have been no cases of nasal congestion, nasal congestion, and those affected by the new strain have not complained of high fever. Most of the time, symptoms get better on their own, she says.
While the Delta variant can also trigger mild symptoms, with fever, fatigue, and cough being some of the most common signs, there was a large population that suffered from extremely severe symptoms, some requiring hospitalization, ICU care.
However, so far, there have been no serious cases of Omicron so far.
COVID-19 vaccines have managed to decrease the severity of the disease. While people who have received both vaccines remain susceptible to the virus, the implications are said to be milder, with extremely rare cases of hospitalization and death.
It’s too early to speculate anything though, with its more than 30 spike protein mutations. Experts suggest that Omicron has the ability to escape immunity, both from vaccines and from a natural infection.
Vaccine manufacturing companies have come to the forefront, claiming to develop an updated version of existing versions. Experts believe that the future course of action will involve ‘modifying’ the available COVID-19 vaccines.
Related Notes:
WHO says there are NO deaths from Omicron strain
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