Omicron SARS-CoV-Variant: A new chapter in the Covid-19 pandemic
Till now Omicorn Virus
has been detected in most of the states and UTS and it is rapidly increasing.
We all should not lower our guard against the Covid. We all should follow
Covid's appropriate behavior. Experts are believing that 3rd wave in the country
is inevitable now.
In this article, I will
try to explain the new variant Omicorn, its spread, and its possible danger.
Along with this, some basic information related to Covid-19 has also been
explained.
What is the
covid 19 variant Omicron?
Omicron (B.1.1.529) has
been declared as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. It has
been first detected in South Africa. It has been identified in Covid 19
patients in Botswana and South Africa.
What is the
meaning of the name of the Omicron Covid-19 variant?
Mikron means little. So
it is little O.
Why is the
omicron Covid variant concerning?
The main concern about
this variant is whether this is more infectious from delta or not. As per the
expert, this is 5 times more infectious than the delta variant.
Is Omicron a
Covid 19 variant of concern?
Yes, it is the variant
of concern. On 26th Nov WHO declared SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1529 as a variant
of concern and named it Omicron. It has 32 mutations in the spike protein.
What is the
new variant Omicorn Covid 19 variant?
SARS-Cov-2 lineage
B.1.1529 is known as the Omicron covid 19 variant. This variant has been
designated as a variant of concern (VOC) by the world health organization. It
is believed to be a highly transmissible variant of the virus.
Is the Covid 19
variant Omicorn more contagious than delta?
As per the expert,
Omicron is going to be more transmissible and contagious than the delta
variant. As per the WHO this virus is not only more contagious than the delta
one but reducing the vaccine efficacy as well. Delta variant has 9 mutations
but in Omicron it is believed to be 30 mutations. It is said that the virus
which has the more variant that is more dangerous.
Will the Omicron
variant of Covid-19 will spread in India?
If we go by the forecast
by Juliet Pulliam, Director of the South African DSI-NSF center for excellence
in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis then we can say that cases will
spread rapidly in India.
What are the organs
most affected by Covid 19?
In most of the cases,
lung is the most affected organ from Covid 19
Are smokers more
likely to develop severe disease with Covid -19?
It is established that
tobacco smoking is a great risk factor for respiratory infections. It increases
the severity of respiratory diseases. So smokers are more vulnerable to the
covid 19 than nonsmokers.
Which types of
settings do Covid-19 spread more easily?
Followings are the
settings where Covid-19 spread more easily.
Crowded places
Close contact settings.
Speaking with each other very closely.
Enclosed spaces with
poor ventilation.
What are the
Coronaviruses?
Corona Viruses is a
group of viruses or a large family of viruses that cause illness from common
cold to more severe disease. As far as the novel Corona Virus is concerned it
is a new strain and it was not found previously in humans.
Where Covid-19 was
first identified?
It was first identified
in Wuhan from their patients. These patients were suffering from pneumonia and
they were connected to the cluster of acute respiratory cases in Wuhan.
When did the
Coronavirus disease receive its name?
On 11th Feb 2020, the
International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced “severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)” as the name of a new virus.
This virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS
outbreak in 2003. Although both are related but two viruses are different.
Has the Novel
Coronavirus that causes Covid-19 been previously identified in humans?
CoronaViruses are a
large family of viruses. A novel Corona Virus is a new strain that has not been
identified in humans earlier. This new Virus has been named as Covid-19 virus.
Does Covid-19
belong to the Corona Virus family?
Yes, the Covid-19 Virus
belongs to the Corona Virus family. That also includes the SARS Virus (Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Symptoms) virus.
The Virus strain that can cause the common cold and flu comes under the family
of coronavirus.
Where did Covid 19
origin?
First known Covid
infection was discovered in Wuhan in China. From where it has come is still
part of the investigation of WHO. There is a theory that it got licked from the
laboratory of China and there is another theory that suggests that it got
originated from the seafood market of Huanan. Because In the early stages of
the pandemic infectees were the workers at the huanan seafood market.
In which country
was the omicron Covid-19 virus first detected?
It was first detected in
South Africa. Virus B 1.1.529 which got named Omicron on 26th Nov 2021 WHO
declared it as a variant of concern.
Who issued the
official name of Covid-19?
On 11th Feb. 2020 WHO
issued the official names COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2
How do Viruses get
their name?
They are named based on
their genetic structure to facilitate the development of diagnostic tests,
vaccines, and medicines. The international committee on Taxonomy of Viruses
(ICTV) names the Viruses.
How long is the
incubation period for COVID-19?
The incubation period
for COVID-19 patients is between 1-14 days. In most cases, symptoms start
appearing in the infected person within 5 days.
What are the
primary symptoms of COVID-19?
Following are the
primary symptoms of COVID-19
Fever
Dizziness
Breathlessness
Headache
Dry Cough
Loss in smell and taste
Spread of Omicron
Till now it has spread
into 16 states and UTs.It is expected that this variant will spread faster than
the Delta one.
Rt Value
Rt value or
re-production value is the value through which we determine that one infected
person will infect how many people. If the Rt value is 1 it means a person will
be infected one person. Rt value has started increasing in the states now.Rt
value is the indicator. It will show that where the covid graph will go. Right
now the situation is not alarming but cluster outbreaks can’t be ruled out.
Severe illness from
Omicron
On this experts are
evaluating the data but it will take more time to reach the conclusion. It is
expected that it will reinfect and also do the breakthrough infection. But
still, it is too early to conclude. But experts are saying that Omicorn might
not be more severe than the Delta but due to its faster spread, it will
overwhelm the complete health system thus it will increase the severity.
Vaccines effect on
Omicorn virus.
Although experts are
evaluating the data it is expected that vaccines will protect against severe
illness, hospitalization, death. So it is always advisable to get vaccinated if
still not taken the vaccine. But it is also important to note that breakthrough
infection (infection in the person who is fully vaccinated) can’t be ruled out.
Treatments of
Omicron infected patients
Scientists are working
to determine the exact line of treatment against this variant. It is expected
that some of the earlier treatments will work and some of them will not or will
remain less effective. Doctors are believing that soon to be launched oral
antivirals molnupiravir and paxlovid may be proved to be a game-changer in the
variants like Omicron.
How many countries
has the Omicron variant of COVID-19 detected in?
It is detected in 38
countries till now including in Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Japan,
Malaysia, India, and South Korea.
What do we know
about the Covid-19 Variant Omicorn so far?
This virus has more than
30 mutations in the genes that code for the spike protein. Out of these 30
mutations, 10 are in the “receptor binding domain”.
Omicron cases in
India today?
As per the health ministry of India state wise Omicron cases are as below:
|
Sr No |
State |
No of Omicorn Cases |
|
1 |
Maharastra |
88 |
|
2 |
Delhi |
67 |
|
3 |
Telangana |
38 |
|
4 |
Tamil Nadu |
34 |
|
5 |
Karnatka |
31 |
|
6 |
Gujrat |
30 |
|
7 |
Kerala |
27 |
|
8 |
Rajasthan |
22 |
|
9 |
Odisha |
4 |
|
10 |
Haryana |
4 |
|
11 |
Jammu and Kashmir |
3 |
|
12 |
West Bengal |
3 |
|
13 |
Andhra Pradesh |
2 |
|
14 |
Uttar Pradesh |
2 |
|
15 |
Chandigarh |
1 |
|
16 |
Ladakh |
1 |
|
17 |
Uttarakhand |
1 |
|
|
Total** |
358 |
|
** |
As on 24th Dec 21 9.45 am |
|
At the end, I would
like to request all of you to please wear the mask maintain the distance, and
follow Covid's appropriate behavior.
There are other Article on Covid, You may visit and read:
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to get financial assistance for the Covid affected families?
The Messengers Of God-Covid Volunteers
The Messengers of God-Covid Volunteers
The Messengers of God-Covid Volunteers
The Messengers of God-Covid Volunteers
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