Is Omicron really dangours?

The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on 24 November 2021. On 26 November 2021, the WHO designated it as a variant of concern.
It’s too early , but early signals of the severity of omicron are “encouraging,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN — that’s, there aren’t safety signals straight away that show omicron end up in more severe COVID-19. In terms of how contagious the 2 variants are: “Clearly, in South Africa, omicron encompasses a transmission advantage,” Fauci said, noting that we want to be “careful” about drawing too many conclusions before there’s more data which could take some weeks. There is that the optimistic view that omicron outcompetes delta because the dominant variant but is additionally less deadly, which might change the pandemic for the higher.

This variant features a sizable amount of mutations, a number of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOC. The amount of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in the majority provinces in African countries. Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics still detect this variant. Several labs have indicated that for one widely used PCR test, one in all the three target genes isn’t detected which called S gene dropout or S gene target failure and this test can therefore be used as marker for this variant, pending sequencing confirmation. Using this approach, this variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.

What are the symptoms of Omicron?

Unlike the Delta variant which had symptoms of lower tract and breathlessness, this point the symptoms are more of the upper respiratory tract a cough, cold, fatigue and sometimes fever. Anybody having these symptoms should definitely get themselves tested and also disclose if they need had any travel history. Its a brand new strain, it will get into the community, so to stay the spread limited, it is important that folk with symptoms get themselves tested straight away and quarantine accordingly.

How to care Omicron?

It has been observed that the new strain does have an immune escape phenomenon whichbgives rise to a possible for reinfection with Covid wether or not you are vaccinated. The treatment path remains symptomatic treatment. The new development now, versus the second wave with Delta, is that now we even have the supply of the antibody cocktail. This could be recommended for Covid positive people with comorbidities, or senior citizens who are at higher risk from developing serious symptoms of Covid. The antibody cocktail must run early within the course of the disease. Masks will still be protective.

The mode of infection continues to be the the same transmission through droplets containing the virus from an infected person. So, masks will still work against this variant, and it is important that the general public another time revert to Covid-appropriate behaviour to avoid a rapid spread of the new variant.