Ah Great!
Another Coronavirus Variant!
I don't even know what this means
How is this any different from the previous variants, and is there something i should be doing differently?
If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, then this is the perfect video for you!
Lets explore together What Makes Omicron Different
To start off, "what is omicron?"
During virus replication, viral genes undergo random “copying errors” resulting in mutations.
Gene mutations that cause permanent change in the DNA result in the formation of new virus variants
Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus is responsible for the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
This virus has taken the form of several variants over the past 2 years.
Starting off with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and now Omicron also known as B.1.1.529
The Omicron variant has officially now replaced the Delta variant as the dominant strain
The process of making Vaccines and boosters also involves analyzing genetic mutations and trends of variant emergence
Therefore it is recommended to get the vaccine in order to stay safe from the evolving virus variants
All previous variants were named after Greek letters, as W.H.O believes these names are easier to communicate as compared to scientific designations
The omicron variant is named after the 15th Greek letter
The first case of the Omicron variant dates back to 24th November 2021
The first omicron variant was detected in South Africa and Botswana,
but has now spread to 165 nations.
Now let’s investigate the structural difference between Omicron and Delta,
but before that let’s play a quick spot the difference game!
We see the Omicron variant has more mutations than the Delta one
The spike or “s” creates something called a spike protein
This spike protein is found on the outside of a virus
In this case, it can be found on the outside of the SARS-COV-2 virus
The spike protein is essentially responsible for entering the human cell by penetrating the host cell
So we can see that the spike protein is a very important component of the virus
and it plays a key role during the infection process within our body
Going back to comparing the structural differences
the Omicron variant has 32 mutations in the “s” gene
Whereas in the delta variant, the "s" gene only shows about 9-13 mutations
For the next portion of this video we will discuss the
the differences in symptom and severity of infection between Omicron and Delta variants
but before that lets play another spot the difference game!
In terms of specific symptoms,
mild, cold-like expressions including sore throats, sneezing,
and runny noses are increasingly common with the Omicron virus
However, former distinctive features of the Delta variant
such as fever, cough, and loss of taste or smell
have decreased significantly with Omicron infection
During the timeframe where Delta
and Omicron variants were both circulating
cases with Omicron infection were associated with
reduced risk of severe clinical endpoints
and shorter duration of hospital stay
Moreover, the symptoms of the Omicron variant
tend to be less severe than Delta
Recent research studies on Omicron’s effect on rodents illustrates that the virus proliferates well in the
upper airway and bronchi but poorly in the lungs
Thus, the Omicron strain is less likely to invade the lung tissue
leading to less pneumonia and
subsequently less severe disease
Although less severe symptoms
manifest with Omicron infection
the variant was found to be 2.7 to 3.7 times
as infectious as the Delta variant
among the vaccinated population
The following chart details all the key symptoms
similarities and differences between the two variants
Now let's discuss the differences between the Delta and Omicron variant in terms of prevention
but first one last spot the difference game
The CDC guidelines for delta variant recommend that people become vaccinated
they also recommend wearing masks in indoor public spaces
They do not mention an age range for either of these recommendations
PCR testing can detect the presence of this variant in the body
for the omicron variant the cdc recommends getting vaccinated and boosted
especially if you have comprised immunity or live with someone with such a condition
they also recommend that people aged 2 and above wear masks in indoor public spaces as well as crowded outdoor spaces
they also mention that the omicron variant is no longer reliably detected by PCR testing
and thus testing methods such as nucleic acid amplification test and antigen tests can determine the presence of this variant in the body
why should we get the booster shots?
A study by Davenport and colleagues estimated that COVID immunity attained by vaccination
will lose half of its effectiveness in 108 days
antibody levels against COVID-19 decrease steadily over time
increasing the risk of breakthrough infection
so for example a vaccine that provides 90% immunity will only provide 70% protection after 6 or 7 months
through getting booster shots you will regain antibodies and decrease the risk of contracting COVID 19
I hope this video answered all your questions. For more cool videos remember to subscribe.