The Omicron coronavirus pandemic raises questions among scientists

The rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant recently identified in South Africa has left virologists and health officials on edge because of its multiple mutations, but much remains unknown about its infectivity and virulence.

Some of the nearly 50 mutations on the new variant, called B.1.1.1.529, could potentially make it more transmissible or reduce the vaccine’s effectiveness, the scientists said. But it will take time for virologists and infectious-disease researchers to study the spread of the variant and its potential impact on vaccines and therapeutics.

“There are many aspects of concern here, but there are so many unknowns,” Sharon Peacock, director of the COVID-19 Genetics UK Consortium, said in a press briefing on Friday. For now, know about this new variant.

Researchers first detected B.1.1.1.529 in South Africa in early November, and this variant has fueled a surge in the country’s cases, albeit from a much smaller starting point. Variants have also been identified in Botswana, Hong Kong, Israel and Europe. Virologists said it is not known whether B.1.1.1.529 first emerged in South Africa or whether it was the first place it was detected. Many countries lack comprehensive genomic surveillance systems capable of quickly characterizing new variants.

The World Health Organization on Friday designated B.1.1.529 a “type of concern”. The agency said preliminary evidence suggests the variant has an increased risk of re-infection, compared to other variants of concern, and called on countries to increase surveillance and sequencing and report initial cases or clusters, which are called It’s called Omicron.

The WHO has identified four other types of concern, including the delta variant which was first identified in India, and two types of interest. Delta is the dominant variant in the US, where 99.9% of indexed COVID-19 cases were linked to the delta variant as of November 20.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that Omicron has not been identified in the US.

“The US variant surveillance system has reliably detected new variants in this country,” the CDC said. “We expect Omicron to be recognized quickly, if it emerges in the US”

Scientists say it is not clear whether the new version may be able to outpace the delta version. Some of the variants of interest that have emerged, such as mu and lambda variants, did not replace the highly infectious delta.

b. Several mutations on version 1.1.1.529 have been associated with higher transmissibility than other variants and the ability to enter human cells more efficiently. Furthermore, the rapid increase in variant-linked cases and positive tests in South Africa’s Gauteng province has led some health officials and virologists to suspect that the variant has increased transmissibility.

“At this time we don’t have definitive evidence that it is more permeable,” Dr Peacock said. “There is enough evidence to make you worry that the transmissibility is high.”

According to the Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa, mutations of more than 30 variants are on the spike protein, the target of authorized COVID-19 vaccines. Some mutations at b.1.1.529 are also associated with resistance to neutralizing antibodies or evasion of the immune response. The high number of mutations on the spike protein worries virologists and health officials, as some of them could potentially confer increased transmissibility and the ability to evade immunity.

Changes in the spike protein of the variant affect readings from some clinical trials but in a way that researchers can use to their advantage. B.1.1.1.529 Variant causes a part of some multipart viral tests called PCR tests not work, so the tests can mark an infection and display a disturbance that causes the variant Tracking becomes easy.

“This is going to be incredibly useful as a tool to potentially track this variant,” said Wendy Barkley, head of the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium, which studies new COVID-19 variants and mutations. Many other variants around the world have also caused the same mistake in testing, she noted, so it will still be important to sequence those samples to determine the specific variant.

Dr. Barkley said it is not known whether the variant is able to evade an immune response from earlier infection or vaccination. He said researchers and laboratories around the world will study the ability of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines to combat the new variant.

Dr Barkley said the new version could also reduce the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody treatments due to the same mutations. But there is currently no evidence that either mutation can affect the effectiveness of new antiviral treatments, or that the variant may cause more severe disease.

“We have no evidence at this time that this is a more serious virus,” Dr. Barkley said.