The new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has started causing panic across the world. Following a sudden surge in omicron cases, many countries have updated and revised their COVID guidelines, or imposed partial lockdowns. The officials are urging everyone to follow preventive measures to avoid the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared both Delta and Omicron as ‘Types of Concern’. However, it is not clear whether one is more serious and dangerous than the other.
India witnessed a tragic loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many people lost their lives, others are still reeling under the ill-effects of the deadly infection. The Delta variant is said to have driven the second wave, it still remains a major strain and continues to infect many. In the wake of the new COVID variant, Omicron, health experts have observed a sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, which could possibly become the motivating source of the third wave. A third COVID wave can be expected between January and February 2022. However, experts believe that the effects will be mild.
While there is no certainty how serious the new variant is, scientists and doctors suggest it may be highly transmissible. The result of genome sequencing showed that the omicron variant is highly mutated as compared to the delta variant. The oomicron has more than 30 mutations in the spike protein, compared to delta, which has 18 mutations. Due to which, the new COVID variant is immune to vaccine-induced antibodies, which will lead to more successful infections.
Although vaccines for COVID-19 have been successful in reducing the severity of the disease, people who have received both shots remain susceptible to the virus. While it is too early to speculate, experts suggest that Omicron has the potential to evade immunity to both vaccines and natural infections.
Vaccine makers have come forward and claimed that there will be slight changes in the available COVID-19 vaccines.
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