Covid-19 Omicron variant: Symptoms, precautions & all we know about the Coronavirus South Africa mutant strain.
Omicron Variant Symptoms, Cause, Precaution, Treatment – Covid 19 will be discussed here. Covid cases with the new variant B.1.1.529 have been documented in the Gauteng province of South Africa, including Pretoria and Johannesburg, and may also be found in other areas.
COVID-19: Omicron strain has more mutations than any other variant seen in the past
The Covid-19 Omicron version has been updated: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 infection, has undergone several changes since its discovery in China in 2019. The WHO has labeled a unique mutant strain widely circulating in South Africa as a ‘variant of concern’ (VoC) and given it the name ‘Omicron’ variety.
Covid-19 Omicron variant update:
What is an omicron Variant, exactly?
SARS-CoV-2 the viral strain that causes Covid-19 infection has been undergoing multiple mutations ever since it was detected in China in 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified a new mutant strain that alters the behavior of the virus, widely circulating in South Africa as a ‘variant of concern’(VoC), and named it ‘Omicron’ variant.
Symptoms of Omicron variant:
What is an omicron Variant, exactly?
- Patients infected with this strain show extreme tiredness. This is not limited to any age group. Young patients also show extreme tiredness, according to Angelique Coetzee, chairperson of the South African Medical Association.
- Omitting is there
- There is no major drop in oxygen saturation levels. Drastic drop in oxygen saturation levels was seen among patients during the second wave of the pandemic in India, for example.
- Patients infected with Omicron strain have not reported loss of taste or smell, which are known symptoms in patients infected with other strains.
- Patients of Omicron variant have, however, complained of “scratchy throat”.
- Most patients of Omicron strain have recovered without hospitalization, say doctors.
According to the World Health Organization, there is minimal evidence that the symptoms induced by omicron are different from those caused by other mutations.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and the South African Medical Association chairman was one of the first doctors in South Africa to discover the unique variety.
Transmissibility:
It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.
Severity of disease:
It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.
Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection
Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become re-infected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern, but information is limited.
Effectiveness of vaccines:
WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines.
Studies underway
At the present time, WHO is coordinating with a large number of researchers around the world to better understand Omicron.
What is Omicron Variant?
Is there a difference between the new Omicron variation and the old one in terms of symptoms?
The new form has “no noteworthy symptoms,” according to the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). However, some individuals are still asymptomatic, as with the Delta strain.
Is it feasible to use RT-PCR assays to detect the novel Omicron variant?
According to the NICD, “most other targets (including the N and RdRp genes) remain unaffected from cases investigated,” despite the deletion of the S gene aiding in the early discovery of the mutation. As a consequence, the unique variant is unlikely to have an impact on the overall sensitivity of the PCR test. According to the NICD, “typically, these PCR tests reveal at least two different SARS-CoV-2 targets, which functions as a backup if a mutation develops in one.”
What further precautions should be taken if the Omicron variation is present?
Experts continue to stress the need for vaccination to protect groups at high risk of hospitalization and death. Still, real-time data suggests that high vaccination rates may reduce the burden on health systems.
In addition, social distance, masks, good ventilation in public interiors, and steady hand and surface washing or sanitization are still essential.
Omicron India
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has highlighted the wide variety of Covid symptoms that have been reported, stating that “anyone” may get “moderate to severe symptoms” two to 14 days following contact with the virus.
Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, tiredness, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headache, the new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or a runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Is there something to be concerned about?
South Africa’s health minister denounced the decision on Friday as a “knee-jerk, draconian” response by a string of countries that have temporarily banned travel from six southern African countries where the strain has been detected.
When questioned by BBC’s Andrew Marr whether nations like the US, UK, Israel, and the European Union are “panicking unnecessarily,” Coetzee claimed the omicron variety had already spread to those countries.
“I suppose you already have that in your country without recognizing it. Therefore I’d say yes at this time.” “Perhaps in two weeks,” she said, “we’ll say something new.”
| Official Portal | Click here |
What WHO found out so far
WHO finds Omicoron to be associated with an increase in transmissibility, decrease in the effectiveness of vaccines, available therapies, and diagnostics. Maria Van Kerkohove, Covid-19 Technical Lead at WHO, informed that there are fewer than 100 whole-genome sequences available and his variant has a large number of mutations. The concern now is that how these multiple mutations can impact how the virus behaves.
