New Delhi: As the world reopens after 18-20 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, a new variant of the coronavirus – B.1.1.1.529, popularly known as the Omicron variant – has been reported in South Africa. have been identified. This has alarmed the scientific community, as they fear the new strain could spread to several countries and cripple health systems once again.
More than 100 cases have been detected in South Africa, where the new strain is slowly becoming dominant.
Here are five things you should know about this deadly super covid variant that has forced several countries including the UK, Israel, Italy and Singapore to restrict travel from South Africa and other countries in the region.
1. According to South African health officials, the Omicron variant has many more mutations than scientists expected, especially after a severe third wave, which was driven by the delta variant. Several mutations are of concern for immune evasion and transmissibility.
2. The Omicron variant carries a high number of mutations in its spike protein, which plays an important role in the virus’s entry into cells in the human body. The Omicron variant has a total of 50 mutations, including over 30 on the spike protein alone, which is the target of most current COVID vaccines.
3. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it will take a few weeks to understand the impact of the new version. Scientists have said this is the most heavily mutated version ever tested, meaning the vaccines, which were designed using the original strain from Wuhan in China, may not be as effective. The WHO has called a meeting to discuss Omicron and decide whether it will be officially designated a type of concern.
4. First identified in South Africa this week, the strain has spread to surrounding countries, including Botswana. Israel has identified a case of a COVID-19 variant with a large number of mutations “in a person who returned from Malawi”. Two cases have been detected in Hong Kong. India has called for stricter screening of travelers from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong.
5. There is still speculation about the origin of the variant. According to François Balloux, director of the London-based UCL Genetics Institute, the new strain is “likely to have developed during a chronic infection of an immune-compromised individual, possibly in an untreated HIV/AIDS patient”.
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