Omicron Variant - Health Care

Mutations and Impacts You Need to Know

OMICRON began to be talked about since the World Health Organization (WHO)  pinned the name for a new coronavirus variant or COVID-19 on November 26, 2021. Instead of just giving it a new name, who also reminds that the latest variant of Omicron is of grave concern." Preliminary evidence indicates that people who previously recovered from COVID-19 have a higher risk of re-infection with Omicron, compared to previous variants," who quoted SINDOnews from the LiveScience website, Tuesday (11/30/2021). But it is not yet explicit how severe or how Omicron is transmitted, including how the COVID-19 vaccine will impact it. Experts say the vaccine will be less effective against these Omicron mutations but still provide protection. 

The variant (B.1.1.529) or Omicron was first discovered in South Africa on November 24, 2021. The discovery of the Omicron variant follows a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Gauteng Province. The first known and confirmed infection with Omicron came from a sample taken on November 9, and now the number of Omicron cases is increasing across South Africa.

Although South Africa was the first country to report Omicron to the WHO, it is unclear where this variant appeared. The Washington Post reported Omicron was also detected in Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Botswana, Israel, Australia, and Hong Kong. 

Moreover, in general, PCR tests can detect Omicron variants and are easily distinguished from other variants. Because there is a mutation in one of the three genes that are used as testing material. "Using this approach, this variant has been detected faster than previous spikes in infections," the WHO said.

Omicron mutations
have more than 30 mutations, 10 of which are in the "receptor binding domain" or part of a protein attached to human cells. "The potential for Omicron spread at the global level is high," the Guardian reported; however, it is not yet known whether Omicron causes more severe disease than previous variants. Preliminary evidence suggests patient hospitalization rates in South Africa are increasing, but it is worth noting that only about 24% of the South African population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The first infection reported in South Africa in college students had no severe symptoms. It is not yet known whether the variant will cause more severe diseases in high-risk patients, such as the elderly.

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