The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the delta variant. It is also more transmissible than previous variants.” There is now consistent evidence that omicron spreading much faster than the delta variant,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing in Geneva in December. is more contagious in comparison with the delta variant.
Health experts explain why the Omicron version coronavirus is highly contagious.
“The Omicron variant is seven times more efficient at replication in the upper airway than previous versions of the coronavirus. However, the Omicron variant remains in the upper respiratory system rather than replication in the lungs. This is why it is quite contagious, but also other Less severe than other types, says Dr. Harish Chafle, Senior Consultant – Pulmonology & Critical Care, Global Hospital, Parel, Mumbai.
Omicron contains more than 50 unique mutations that are responsible for the increased infectivity. “SARS-CoV-2 has knobs on the outside called spike proteins that bind to the human ACE2 receptor and initiate infection. Compared to the previous version, Omicron has more than 50 unique mutations and 36 of these are on the spike protein. These mutations increase infectivity by increasing the affinity of the S protein for the ACE2 receptor, as well as increasing the efficiency of viral entry into the cell. It is also responsible for the evasion of previous immunity, which is being observed,” says Dr. Tripti Gilada, Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases, Masina Hospital, Mumbai.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,041 omicron cases have been detected in India so far, the Union health ministry’s data was updated at 8 am on Saturday.
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