Hello Gentle People:

 Apparently the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV2 is more dangerous than even the Delta variant. 

Why? Because it spreads faster and sadly it also kills people. Even Three vaccines are not enough to protect us against this vicious virus!

Once again we must do everything to block the damn thing and once again we may need another vaccine. Yes, another vaccine because the Three predecessors were all aimed at the original Covid 19 and the Omicron is a two step variation away from the original.

 The deadly Omicron variant spreads faster and even with Three vaccines, you are not protected.

A fourth vaccine and maybe more is needed. Don't let down your guard or your masks until the Hospitals finally give us the all clear signal. Do not be blasé about this virus or you may end up in a body bag. 

N.J.R

On 26 November 2021, the World Health Organization ( W.H.O.) designated the

 variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern (VOC), on the basis of advice from WHO’s 

Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution. 

The variant has been given the name Omicron. 

Omicron variant is a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations, including 

26-32 in the spike protein, some of which are concerning and may be associated with

 immune escape potential and higher transmissibility.

 However, there are still considerable uncertainties.

 As of 9 December 2021, cases of human infections with this variant have been identified

 in 63 countries across all six WHO regions.

 Current understanding of the Omicron variant from recent data are likely to evolve as 

more data becomes available.

The overall threat posed by Omicron largely depends on three key questions,

 including: (1) how transmissible the variant is; 

(2) how well vaccines and prior infection protect against infection, transmission, 

clinical disease and death; and (3) how virulent the variant is compared to other variants.                                                      Public health advice is based on current information and will be tailored as more evidence

 emerges around those key questions.

Based on current limited evidence Omicron appears to have a growth advantage over 

Delta. It is spreading faster than the Delta variant in South Africa where Delta circulation 

was low, but also appears to spread more quickly than the Delta variant in other countries

 where the incidence of Delta is high, such as in the United Kingdom. 

Whether Omicron’s observed rapid growth rate in countries with high levels of population 

immunity is related to immune evasion, intrinsic increased transmissibility, 

or a combination of both remains uncertain. However, given the current available data,

 it is likely that Omicron will outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs.

There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron. 

While preliminary findings from South Africa suggest it may be less severe than Delta,

 and all cases reported in the EU/EEA to date have been mild or asymptomatic, 

it remains unclear to what extent Omicron may be inherently less virulent.

 More data are needed to understand the severity profile.

There are limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or

 effectiveness to date for Omicron. Preliminary evidence, and the considerably altered 

antigenic profile of the Omicron spike protein, suggests a reduction in vaccine efficacy

 against infection and transmission associated with Omicron. 

There is some preliminary evidence that the incidence of reinfection has increased 

in South Africa, which may be associated with humoral (antibody-mediated) immune

 evasion. In addition, preliminary evidence from a few studies of limited sample size 

have shown that sera obtained from vaccinated and previously infected individuals had 

lower neutralization activity (the size of the reduction ranges considerably) than with

 any other circulating VOCs of SARS-CoV-2 and the ancestral strain.

The diagnostic accuracy of routinely used PCR and antigen-based rapid diagnostic test

 (Ag-RDT) assays does not appear to be influenced by Omicron. 

Most Omicron variant sequences reported include a deletion in the S gene, causing 

some S gene targeting PCR assays to appear negative. 

Although some publicly shared sequences lack this deletion, this remains a minority of 

currently available sequences, and S gene target failure (SGTF) can therefore be used

 as a useful proxy marker of Omicron, for surveillance purposes. 

However, confirmation should be obtained by sequencing, as this

 deletion can also be found in other VOCs (e.g., Alpha and subsets of Gamma and Delta).

Therapeutic interventions for the management of patients with severe or critical

 COVID-19 associated with the Omicron variant that target host responses

 (such as corticosteroids, and interleukin 6 receptor blockers and prophylaxis with

 anticoagulation) are expected to remain effective.  

However, monoclonal antibodies will need to be tested individually, for their 

antigen binding and virus neutralization and these studies should be prioritized.