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Scientist: New Information About Covid-19’s Omicron vs. Delta Variants

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Omicron Virus

Omicron vs. Deltacron: We can only be certain, two years after the pandemic began, that the Sars-CoV-2 virus that is responsible for Covid-19 is constantly changing. There have been four variants of the virus since the outbreak started in December 2019. These are Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and now Omicron.

Omicron, though the new variant is labelled by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “highly transmissible,” was declared as such by the WHO in November 2021. As a result, there have been recorded numbers of cases in several countries since then.

Omicron might remain lower in death toll than previous waves, including that caused by Delta, as cases rise around the world – the United States has been averaging 800,000 new infections every day.

Discovering Omicron

Omicron

Omicron

Scientists said it was responsible for the spike in infections in South Africa last year, as a new variant of Coronavirus was detected there at the end of November. At the time, experts in South Africa said that some infected people do not display symptoms.

Omicron was dubbed as a highly transmissible variant by the WHO.

A variant of the coronavirus has more than 50 mutations not previously seen together, including over 30 mutations that change the spike protein on which the virus attaches to cells. According to Reuters, vaccines in use today target the protein spike responsible for the symptoms. Therefore, Covid-19 vaccines may provide less protection against Omicron.

Is Omicron transmissible?

Omicron was found to be two to three times more likely to infect people, particularly in households, as compared to Delta in the early research on its transmission.

Associate professor of epidemiology Bill Hanage says Omicron is likely to cluster in large groups.

Omicron maybe 105% more transmissible than Delta, according to a study from France. Even if Omicron is less severe than Delta, most French hospitals may see higher activity, if not overload in the future because of the higher reproductive number – how many people can be infected at a specific time by an individual.

The increased risk of reinfection is another characteristic of Omicron. Omicron was 5.4 times more likely to reinfect than Delta, according to a study by Imperial College London.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s the technical lead on Covid-19, told a recently held press conference that Omicron was “efficiently transmitting” and detected in all areas with effective gene sequencing options.

Kerkhove explained that Omicron has led to a massive spike in cases. This is owing to its ability to adhere more easily to human cells, cause reinfection, and replicate in the upper respiratory tract. This set it apart from other variants like Delta.

It appears that Omicron is less likely to cause severe disease than Delta due to this combination of factors, she said. A leading infectious diseases expert, however, cautioned that the global health body is still seeing an increase in hospital stays and patients who require clinical care, which will place pressure on countries’ healthcare systems.

How about severity?

When compared to Delta, the number of infections is higher, but the rates of deaths, and even hospitalizations, are lower.

There are several studies that support this, including one conducted by South African scientists. They discovered people who contracted Omicron for two months were 80pc less likely to require hospitalization. But scientists said the low hospitalisation rate in the country may also be linked to a high level of immunity.

One of the study’s authors, Professor Cheryl Cohen of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said the data show Omicron is less severe than other variants.

Separately, a study conducted by the UK Health Security Agency found Omicron was half as likely to result in hospitalization as Delta. According to their study, people who have received two and three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have an 81% reduced risk of hospitalisation.

The number of Omicron patients who required hospitalization was 68pc lower than that of Delta patients in Scotland, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh. In addition, they referred to the increased risk of reinfection – 7.6% of samples analysed had reinfections compared to 7% in the Delta study.

The risk of hospitalization for patients with Omicron was 40 to 45% lower compared to those with the Delta variant. This is according to another study conducted by Imperial College London.

Antonio Costa, Portuguese Prime Minister, announced the easing of curbs despite a record number of cases.

Health officials in India reported that only five to ten percent of the current wave of patients driven by Omicron were hospitalized. This is compared with 20 to 23 percent in the previous wave led by Delta.

In some countries, hospitalizations have not remained low. The number of people hospitalized with Covid in the United States on Jan 10 reached 132,646, surpassing the figure of 132,051 set in January 2021.

In France, hospitalisations have increased the most since April 2021, but remain below their peak from the end of 2020. According to the health minister, Omicron causes less severe complications, but hospitalizations are still on the rise since it is highly contagious.

 

Unlike the lungs, Omicron affects airways

The reason for the reduced severity may be due to the fact that Omicron multiplies faster in the airways and lower in the lungs.

At 24 hours after infection, a University of Hong Kong study found that the Omicron strain replicated around 70 times more than the Delta strain and the original Sars-CoV-2 strain. However, the Omicron variant replicated less efficiently (more than 10 times less) in the human lung tissue than the original Sars-CoV-2 virus, which suggests a weakened condition.”

Due to its increased transmissibility, the variant, however, poses a “very significant” threat overall.

The CTN reported that six separate studies found that Omicron does not cause lung damage as severe as Delta or other variants.

According to WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud, there is increasing evidence that Omicron causes less severe illness because it affects the upper respiratory tract.

In an interview with Reuters, he said, “We are seeing more and more studies indicating that Omicron is infecting the upper body rather than the other variants that may cause severe pneumonia.”

Do existing vaccines provide protection against Omicron?

Multiple studies showed that getting a booster dose results in antibodies capable of fighting the new variant of Omicron even a few months after receiving two shots of a vaccine.

In an early analysis of real-world data, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, Dr Mary Ramsay, found that the risk of catching Omicron was “significantly reduced” following a booster vaccine.

Compared to the protection they provide against Delta, two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection.

Reuters reports that when boosted with the Pfizer vaccine, around 70% of those who had initially received AstraZeneca were protected against symptomatic infection, and 75% of those who had initially received Pfizer.”

Additionally, studies later confirmed that booster doses provided protection against Omicron.

According to Danish researchers, after receiving an injection of either the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, vaccine effectiveness can be restored when the booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine is administered.

Pharmaceutical companies have also conducted research that has shown promising results. In a lab test, Pfizer’s vaccine was able to neutralize the Omicron variant after three shots. The company’s CEO also stated that it will be able to release a vaccine for Omicron by March.

Booster doses of Moderna’s vaccine are effective against Omicron as they increase neutralizing antibodies 37-fold compared to pre-boost levels.

Despite supporting AstraZeneca’s vaccine third dose, a study by the University of Oxford concluded that it had improved neutralization rates.

Chinese vaccines such as Sinopharm and SinoVac, however, have not shown the same level of promise.

The University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong jointly conducted a study that found that those who had received two doses of SinoVac but received the third dose did not have adequate levels of antibody protection.

According to researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a Shanghai-based laboratory, Sinofarm’s vaccine had “significantly lower” neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant. However, its efficacy against Omicron is unclear.

When administered after two doses of the original vaccine, Sinopharm’s protein-based vaccine significantly improved immune responses against various strains of Sars-CoV-2, including Omicron.

Additionally, there are other treatment options available this time around. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two antiviral pills, made by Pfizer and Merck.

In response, both companies said their pills would be effective against the new variant.

 

Also Check:

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WHO Reveals FLiRT Variants as Predominant SARS-CoV-2 Strains in 2024

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WHO Reveals FLiRT Variants as Predominant SARS-CoV-2 Strains in 2024

(CTN News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the “FLiRT” versions of the fatal SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 illnesses, are the most common virus strains this year worldwide.

According to Gulf News, the moniker “FLiRT” refers to the shared mutations on the virus’s spike protein among the variations.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.2, one of the FLiRT variants, has become the most regularly circulating variant in the United States in the last month.

Johns Hopkins University says that the FLiRT variations, which include KP.2’s “parental” lineage JN.1, have three important changes on their spike protein that may help them avoid being caught by antibodies.

Are the FLiRT variations more contagious?

Dr. Aaron Glatt, a representative for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, stated that based on the data he collects and experiences with his own patients, he has seen no evidence of an increase in disease or hospitalizations.

“There have been some significant changes in the variants, but I think in recent times it’s not been as important, probably because of the immunity many, many people already have” due to vaccinations and previous illnesses.

According to CDC data, COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been declining in recent weeks.

Furthermore, the number of patients in emergency rooms who tested positive for COVID-19 has been rather stable over the last month.

Continue to evolve before winter, when infections and hospitalizations often peak, and whether the FLiRT strains will be included in a fall COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Roberts answers three questions about the FLiRT variations.

1. Where did the FLiRT strains originate?

Nobody knows where the FLiRT variations first appeared. The CDC initially discovered them in wastewater in the United States, where it screens sewage for signs of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in a community, even if patients do not have symptoms. (The data can be utilized to provide an early warning if infection levels in a community are increasing or decreasing.). FLiRT strains have since been discovered in several other nations, including Canada and the United Kingdom.

To better appreciate how the FLiRT strains developed, consider how the SARS-CoV-2 virus has evolved, with new varieties developing when mutations occur in its genetic coding. Omicron was a SARS-CoV-2 variant that became prevalent in the United States in 2021 and began to produce its subvariants. One of these was JN.1, which was discovered in September 2023 and spread across the country during the winter months, increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations. JN.1 has offspring, including the FLiRT subvariants, which are spinoffs of JN.1.11.1.

2. What do we know—and don’t know—about the FLiRT variants?

We know that the FLiRT variations had two changes in their spike proteins (the spike-shaped protrusions on the virus’s surface) that were not present in JN.1 (the previously prevalent strain in the United States). Some specialists believe that these alterations may allow the virus to avoid people’s protection, whether from the vaccination or a previous bout with COVID.

However, Dr. Roberts believes that the FLiRT variations’ genetic similarity to JN.1 should be reassuring. “While JN.1 occurred during the winter months, when people gather indoors and the virus is more likely to spread, its symptoms were milder than those caused by variants in the early years of the pandemic,” according to him.

There is no word yet on whether a COVID sickness will be more severe with the FLiRT variations or how symptoms may vary. Because everyone is different, a person’s symptoms and severity of COVID disease are largely determined by their immunity and overall health rather than the variant with which they are infected, according to the CDC.

3. How can people defend themselves from FLiRT strains?

Dr. Roberts emphasizes the importance of vaccination as a critical tactic against COVID-19. He recommends that all eligible individuals stay up to date on their immunizations. While immunization does not guarantee immunity, it does dramatically reduce a person’s risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

“We know that the updated monovalent vaccine, which was designed for the XBB.1.5 variant, worked against JN.1, and I strongly suspect it will have some degree of activity against the FLiRT mutations as well,” adds Dr. Roberts.

“I would especially recommend anyone who qualifies for the vaccine because of advanced age get it if they haven’t already,” says Dr. Roberts. “The reason is that the biggest risk factor for a bad outcome from COVID is advanced age.” In the fall of 2023, eligible individuals over 65 can receive the first shot of the revised vaccine and then another shot four months later.

He also believes COVID testing will be able to detect FLiRT strains, and antiviral medications will continue to be effective against them. Paxlovid, the primary treatment for most COVID patients, targets a “nonspiked part of the virus,” he explains. “It’s relatively variant-proof, so it should act against many future COVID iterations.”

Additional preventive measures can assist. To prevent COVID-19, avoiding direct contact with sick people, wearing a mask, washing your hands thoroughly, enhancing ventilation, and monitoring transmission levels in your area is important. Additional options are available on the CDC website.

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New Omicron Subvariants, KP.2 and KP.3, Dominate in Canada: What You Need to Know

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New Omicron Subvariants, KP.2 and KP.3, Dominate in Canada What You Need to Know

(CTN News) – More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new versions of the unique coronavirus have emerged as the dominant strain in Canada.

These new subvariants, KP.2 and KP.3, are classified as Omicron mutations originating from the COVID-19 virus. As of May 19, 49.2% of COVID-19 cases in Canada involved one of these strains, indicating their rapid expansion.

But how much do these subvariants affect the human body? Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, believes that while it is too early to say, the most likely outcome is no.

“It’s going to cause predictable symptoms, just like the other sublineages of Omicron,” Bogoch told CTVNews.ca. “Some people will have more serious infection, some will have a milder infection, and some will have no symptoms at all.”

Bogoch, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, says the virus’s impact will vary depending on each individual, with factors such as age, health, and underlying medical disorders all playing a role.

Public Health Outlook in Canada

He also claims that the current set of vaccines continues “to do a remarkable job in reducing the risk of serious infection.” Thus, even though the most recent boosters do not account for these new varieties, they still protect the most vulnerable individuals.

However, in the first few months of the subvariant’s existence, there has been no indication that Canadians or public health experts should be concerned.

“The first Omicron wave was terrible, back in late 2021 and early 2022,” he stated. “However, subsequent Omicron waves have had fewer and fewer effects on our healthcare system and society.”

“Of course, this is not to diminish the importance of COVID. “It’s terrible, and certain populations are particularly vulnerable,” he added. “(Both federal and provincial) Public health can do a lot of good by having clear, open, transparent conversations with the general public, just discussing what the current state of COVID-19 is.”

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 03: People line up outside of a free COVID-19 vaccination site that opened today in the Hubbard Place apartment building on December 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. The DC Department of Health is stepping up vaccination and booster shots as more cases of the Omicron variant are being discovered in the United States. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Cases have been quite low in the spring and summer, as in the previous few COVID-19 and flu seasons before 2020, before increasing in the autumn and winter.

Bogoch expects the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Canada’s primary authority on vaccine use, to issue guidelines in the autumn. New COVID-19 injections will be available around the same time as influenza vaccines.

While Canadians have begun to adjust to life after years of pandemic restrictions, cautious optimism is present in the post-COVID world.

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Researchers Found Two Extremely Rare Side Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine

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Researchers Found Two Extremely Rare Side Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine

(CTN News) – As millions of people receive their doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, the world is in a race against time to combat the disease. Vaccines have emerged as an integral part of the fight against this pandemic, so ensuring the safety of these vaccines has become increasingly important. As a result of recent studies, it is now known that there are two rare side effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccines, which adds another layer of complexity to the vaccination campaign.

Side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine

Vaccination safety is a broad topic that must be understood before we look at these rare side effects in detail. Common side effects, such as sore arms, fatigue, and mild fever, are well-documented and usually short-lived. Despite the sheer scale of the vaccination campaigns for COVID-19, continuous monitoring is required to identify any unexpected adverse events that may occur.

The Study

The purpose of this study was to analyze data from vaccinated individuals and identify any patterns that might be unusual. The study’s methodology and the diverse pool of participants provided an opportunity to understand potential risks related to vaccines.

Rare Side Effect #1: Allergic Reactions

There have been uncommon allergic reactions following vaccination as one of the rare side effects identified. Even though allergic reactions can vary in severity, the study found instances of uncommon allergic reactions following vaccination. To ensure the safety of vaccine recipients, it is crucial to understand the types and frequency of these reactions.

Rare Side Effect #2: Myocarditis

It is also important to recognize and address the possibility of myocarditis, another rare side effect highlighted by the study, as an inflammation of the heart muscle. Although this is a rare consequence of the treatment, the study emphasizes the importance of recognizing it and addressing it if it occurs.

Impact on Different Age Groups

According to the study, age appears to significantly influence the prevalence of these rare side effects. Also, the study indicates differences in side effects between different age groups, which leads to tailored recommendations for vaccine recipients of varying ages.

Recognizing Symptoms

If you recognize symptoms, you can treat these rare side effects promptly. From allergic reactions to signs of myocarditis, being aware of the warning signs makes it easier for you to seek medical attention right away.

Treatment and Prevention

Although medical interventions for these rare side effects exist, preventive measures can also be taken to protect those at higher risk from experiencing these side effects. Healthcare providers and the general public must be aware of these available choices.

Importance of Reporting Side Effects

Encouraging the public to report any adverse reactions to vaccines is important for ongoing COVID-19vaccine safety monitoring. This collaborative effort between the public and healthcare professionals facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the side effects of vaccines.

Public Awareness Campaigns

The importance of public awareness campaigns plays a vital role in addressing public concerns and misunderstandings. Educating the public about the potential side effects of vaccination and their context and rarity is crucial for maintaining trust in vaccines.

Regulatory Responses

As a result of these findings, health authorities are actively responding to them, adjusting vaccination guidelines and communicating transparently with the public regarding the measures taken to ensure public safety.

Balancing Risks and Benefits

COVID-19Vaccine safety remains a cornerstone of the ongoing assessment of the overall safety of vaccines in the prevention of severe illness and deadly diseases, as it is crucial to balance the risks against the benefits of vaccination in order to make informed decisions.

Future Research Directions

A continued focus is being put on the evaluation of vaccination safety, with a focus on refining vaccination strategies and addressing emerging concerns. The commitment to continual improvement ensures that vaccination programs remain as safe and effective as possible.

Conclusion

As a result, it is imperative to maintain public trust in vaccination efforts if we are to understand and address rare side effects. To avoid the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact, widespread vaccination has proven to be extremely beneficial, and ongoing research and monitoring has enhanced our ability to navigate the complexities associated with COVID-19 vaccine safety.

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