Omicron: All you need to know

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Covid-19 has gripped the world for almost two years now. As we were looking forward to what seemed like the end, we found ourselves in another catch-22 situation. The Coronavirus has presented us with yet another variant, B.1.1529.

The B.1.1529 variant, now known as the Omicron variant, was first reported in South Africa on Nov. 24, 2021. South Africa has seen three distinct peaks in relation to Covid cases. This variant has now become a matter of concern because it spreads easily and causes severe illness.

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

Transmission Capability

While it is unclear whether this new variant spreads quickly from one person to another or not, it is causing a lot of people to test positive. The number of people testing positive has risen in South Africa and the studies to confirm this are still being done.

Severity

Primary data suggests that Omicron is causing a surge in the number of hospitalisations in South Africa. This is possible, due to an overall increase in the number of positive cases as opposed to a specific infection caused by Omicron. There is no study currently that confirms a difference in the symptoms caused by the new variant.

Are you safe if you have had Covid?

Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with the new variant. If you have had Covid-19 in the past, it is possible that you can get re-infected with the Omicron variant more easily. However, this information is limited. More on this by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be up soon.

Are you safe if you have been vaccinated?

The impact of this variant on the current vaccines is still unknown. However, vaccines have been critical in reducing the severity and number of deaths against most variants of the coronavirus.

How can you protect yourself from the Omi- cron variant?

Instead of panicking about the new variant, it is better to maintain precautions to prevent infection. WHO is continuously conducting its research on the new variant and trying to gather more information about Omicron. Keep checking this space for more information on this variant and let’s do our bit to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe.