All you need to know about Omicron variant of COVID-19

“Scientists from all across the world have told me that this is not going to be good,” stated Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Moderna.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Monday, November 29, that omicron poses a “very high” global risk. The next few weeks will be contentious as scientists will analyze if the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the new variant. 

Here is what we know about the virus so far: 

1: Should we be scared of Omicron?

WHO stated that Omicron’s characteristics make it more transmissible and people who have recovered from the COVID-19 are more susceptible to the virus. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, stated that the variant has a disturbingly large number of mutations in the ‘spike protein’. The spike protein dictates the power of the virus to latch onto and penetrate the cells in your body which then leads to the COVID-19 infection. 

Omicron is known to have above 30 spike protein mutations, compared with the original variant.

2: Omicron infection count has steeply increased in South Africa 

On Friday, November 26, WHO stated that omicron has spread on a wider scale in South Africa. Fauci explained that only 24 per cent of the population in South Africa has been vaccinated. However, he stated that other countries can expect a similar pattern to unfold as the variant spreads out to other nations. 

3: The symptoms so far have been “extremely mild” 

So far there have been no known deaths caused by the virus and the symptoms appear to be extremely mild, explained Dr Angelique Coetzee, Chair, South African Medical Association, that discovered the variant. 

4: How is India protecting itself from Omicron? 

The Government of India has issued guidelines for international travel keeping in mind the new variant of the novel coronavirus which will be in effect from Wednesday, December 1. Passengers from countries that are “at-risk” will be tested for the COVID-19 and not allowed to leave the airport until their RT-PCR test results come in. Even if the results are negative, the passenger will be home quarantined for seven days and re-tested on the 8th day. 

For now, the “at-risk” nations include the United Kingdom, all 44 countries in Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel. 

Fauci stated that travel bans cannot completely prevent the virus from entering countries. However, they can delay it enough so that “we are better prepared”.