In news–Cases of Omicron, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been increasing across the world.
About Omicron-
- The variant known scientifically as B.1.1.529 is believed to have shown many mutations and has been declared as a Variant of Concern (VoC) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- It is the latest of the five VoC and is far more transmissible than its predecessor delta and has the ability to evade immunity.
- Omicron has been declared as a VoC based on observed mutations, their predicted features of increased transmission, immune evasion and risk of re-infections.
- But its origin remains unclear (though the cases reported in South Africa initially), much like the one found in Wuhan.
- Currently, there are three popular theories of omicron’s genesis. They are:
- The virus persisted in an immunocompromised person who suffered from COVID-19 for a long period.
- A “reverse zoonotic event” could be behind an omicron, where it may have evolved in an animal host, possibly a rodent and thereafter jumped onto humans, triggering another wave of COVID-19 infections.
- The variant evolved in a population where genome sequencing is extremely sparse or non-existent.
- Its 50 mutations, 32 of which are on the spike protein alone, is worrisome as this is where the variant gets its vaccine-evading and high transmission characteristics from.
More information- https://journalsofindia.com/classification-of-corona-variants/
Source: Down To Earth
