In a little over two weeks, a new Covid-19 strain developed from its first known infection to a variant of concern.Understand the extent of the threat New variant Omicron And it takes more time to respond to it.
So far, the analysis of Omicron has found that this new variant, first discovered in South Africa, has many mutations in the spike protein. The location of these mutations is important because the virus uses a spike protein to lock onto the cell and infect it. This protein is also important because it is the target of the Covid vaccine that triggers an immune response. Scientists are worried that mutations in the spike protein may make this new variant more transmissible and toxic. New variants may also reduce the effectiveness of available diagnostic methods, drugs, and vaccines.
In a video posted by the World Health Organization on Twitter and YouTube on Friday, Maria Van Kerkove, WHO’s head of Covid-19 technology, stated that the large number of mutations in the new variants “have some worrying characteristics.” But she added that the research needed to better understand this new variant may take weeks.
“In South Africa and other countries, there is a lot of work going on to better describe the spread of the mutation itself, its severity, and any impact on our countermeasures, such as the use of diagnostics, treatments or vaccines,” Van Kerkov said. “So far, there is little information, but these studies are ongoing.”
The WHO stated that the first known confirmed infection of the new variant came from samples collected on November 9. The new variant was reported to the organization on November 24.Two days later, the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Technical Advisory Group Virus Evolution is an independent expert organization responsible for monitoring and evaluating the evolution of the virus. They met and concluded that enough changes have taken place in the virus to be classified. Class as Variations of interest. It joins the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants in this list.
According to a Nature Report, South African researchers first discovered Omicron in genome sequencing data from Botswana. This variant shows more than 30 spike protein mutations. The laboratory of Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who is studying Omicron, told Nature that these mutations may help the virus evade the antibodies produced by the body to stop the pathogen. She added that computer modeling shows that Omicron can also evade the immune system’s T cells.
The most important antibody produced by the body to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 targets three slightly different sites on the spike protein. Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, told Science that Omicron’s mutation changed the site recognized by the antibody, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the antibody. Bloom said those who have recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated are unlikely to lose the ability to neutralize the virus completely.
“But I expect that based on this particular combination of mutations, the reduction in neutralization will be greater than all other major variants,” Bloom said.
It is too early to determine whether these things will happen. Like Omicron, the Beta variant was recorded in South Africa for the first time. Although the characteristics of Beta are worthy of attention nearly a year ago, it has not reached the global spread achieved by Delta, which has become the world’s most dominant Covid-19 strain.
At the same time, vaccine companies are also conducting their own tests. BioNTech stated that it will take about two weeks to evaluate whether the messenger RNA vaccine developed in cooperation with Pfizer is effective for Omicron. The German company added that the mRNA vaccine can be adapted to the new variant within six weeks and shipped within 100 days.
Moderna is also in progress Similar testThe company has been working on a multivalent version of its mRNA vaccine as a potential booster to address Beta and Delta variants. Omicron carries several mutations present in Beta and Delta; Moderna said it will rapidly expand the scope of serum testing for these studies to determine whether a multivalent vaccine candidate can better prevent Omicron.
To date, no cases of Omicron have been reported in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe CDC added that its mutation monitoring system has reliably detected mutations in the United States, and the agency expects that the system will quickly detect Omicron.
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