Oh My Omicron

For almost the last two years, the virus SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as Covid-19, has roamed the planet, though not always in one form. And today, there is an update. A new variant has emerged.

Dubbed “Omicron” (Linage: B.1.1.529) by the World Health Organization (WHO), the variant got first discovered in South Africa in mid-November. It’s also labeled a “variant of concern” by the WHO. The variant got named after the Greek letter “Omicron,” as were many other variants, and has more mutations than the previous variant, Delta.

So what makes this variant so “concerning” to everyone everywhere? First of all, Omicron is seemingly more transmissible than other variants. The variant has given itself the ability to spread quickly, proven by how fast it spread across the globe and back. And even though many countries are enforcing travel bans from South Africa and its neighboring countries, they don’t make things any better. Since the variant has already spread out of the origin country, it would make sense that other countries that have not gotten banned would bring in the virus anyways. Travel bans are a brick wall, whereas a wall can’t stop an airborne disease.

The second concerning part about Omicron is that it’s still uncertain how the variant would respond to current vaccines. Currently, scientists believe that the vaccines would have a decreased efficacy, though they would still have some effect. Why is that the case? Well, due to the mutations in the variants spike proteins. The spike proteins are the parts that latch on and penetrate the cells in our bodies. The use of these mutations isn’t yet fully understood. However, with more than 30 of them, the Omicron variant could infiltrate cells with less effort. Though it’s still too early to tell, the variants’ enhanced abilities could theoretically also evade vaccine antibodies. It could be that the criminals outnumber the police, or it could be the other way around.

However, experts say that we shouldn’t worry too much. Yes, it could be the case that Omicron is more immune to the current vaccines and it has increased transmission, though it could have a decreased death rate. If the death rate were too high, the virus would die out before getting the chance to transmit and multiply. But still, don’t let your guard down. Continue to wear masks, avoid indoors if possible, wash your hands and disinfect frequently, and encourage others to do the same.

It may be true that the pandemic is spreading and changing and enhancing itself more than ever. Variants are also getting scarier and faster. Though that doesn’t mean we can’t slow them down. With the efforts of everyone, with everyone’s support and help, we may be able to make an impenetrable wall to stop the Covid virus. That is the end of this production from the New News Newsminute. Thank you, and remember to share this article and subscribe for more updates.