Just as things were beginning to normalise following a devastating pandemic year, a new strain of the virus, Omicron, struck the world. The Omicron variety, which was initially found in South Africa in November 2021, has spread very quickly to every corner of the globe, causing COVID-19 cases to surge to unprecedented levels. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released data showing that approximately 10 million new COVID-19 infections have been detected around the world in the last week, fueled by the highly communicable Omicron strain.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, recently described why the new variant of concern is so infectious and what individuals may do to resist it. While studies have shown that the chance of developing severe sickness from Omicron is lower than the Delta version, Kerkhove cautioned that there is no reason to be relaxed. Because the spread of the virus is aided by people not sticking to precautions such as wearing masks and keeping a safe distance, she added.
Kerkhove explained the reasons why the Omicron variant is easily transmitted between people. First, the virus's modifications make it easier for it to cling to human cells. Second, we have a phenomenon known as immunological escape. This means that those who have previously been sick or who have been vaccinated can become infected again.
The fact that Omicron multiplies in the upper respiratory system, as opposed to Delta and other variants, including the original strain, which replicated in the lower respiratory tract, in the lungs, is the third element that makes it so easy to spread.
Hospitalizations have been continuously rising in countries seeing a peak in COVID-19 infections since late December previous year. The abundance of infections triggered by Omicron is putting a hardship on hospitals, according to health officials. The scientist said that it was important to minimise exposure in order to minimise case numbers.