The new Covid-19 variant “Omicron” has become a major concern for world countries lately. It has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, and the overall global risk related to the new variant is assessed as very high.
For the people who don’t know more about Omicron variant, we are revealing some information about the deadly virus.
Omicron is a heavily mutated coronavirus variant, also known as B.1.1,529 and is now designated as a variant of concern by WHO. It was first detected on 11 November 2021 in Botswana.
As per reports, Omicron has over 30 mutations on its spike protein (face) that’s more than double what’s carried by Delta.
However, speaking about its transmission rate, Omicron has outpaced delta and become the dominant strain in many areas. Its Ro value is 1.93 as compared to the delta at 1.47.
The impact of this variant can be reduced with the increased vaccination rates and updated vaccines can be able to fight the virus. Currently, Oxygen and Dexamethasone have been saving lives. However, there is very exciting data coming from two antivirals, Molnupiravir and Favipiravir.
Meanwhile, India issues revised guidelines for international travellers in view of the Omicron variant. The guidelines require all travellers coming to India should mandatorily undergo Covid-19 testing at the airport on arrival.