People wait in line next to COVID-19 vaccination trucks in London, England, on December 6, 2021. (Xinhua News Agency)
BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- On November 26, the World Health Organization listed the new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 as a "need for attention" variant and named it after the Greek letter "Omicron" (Ο). A month has passed, and the Omilon strain has spread to more than 100 countries and regions around the world. How much do people really know about it? Is it more ferocious than the Delta strain? Will existing COVID-19 vaccines fail?
The Omiljung strain initially attracted attention mainly because it carries a large number of genetic mutations, and there are about 30 mutations on its surface alone, and the new crown virus infects the human body through the binding of the spike protein to human cell receptors. Studies suggest that some variants may enhance the virus's infectivity and immune escape.
As of 22 December, the Omiljun strain has spread to 110 countries and territories around the world, according to WHO data. In the United Kingdom, the United States and other places, the strain has replaced the Delta strain as the main local epidemic strain. As the relevant data increases, people's understanding of the Aumechjong strain is also deepening.
On December 22, 2021, in the northern French city of Lille, store clerks provide hand sanitizer to customers. (Xinhua News Agency)
Available evidence shows that in countries with a record of community transmission, the Aomikron strain spreads significantly faster than delta strains, doubling the number of infections in 2 to 3 days. However, WHO experts say it is uncertain whether the rapid growth in the number of cases of the Omiljung strain observed since November is due to increased infectivity of the virus or increased immune escape capacity, most likely both.
Early data from South Africa, the United Kingdom and Denmark showed that people infected with the Amicorjung strain had a lower risk of hospitalization compared to Delta strains. But hospitalization risk is only one aspect of disease severity that can change depending on the "threshold" for admission. Therefore, more data from different countries, such as oxygen and ventilator use, mortality rates, etc., are needed to understand the severity of the disease caused by this strain. The reduced risk of hospitalization observed so far may also be related to the fact that some people have gained immunity through COVID-19 vaccines or infections.
On 16 December 2021, members of the public received COVID-19 vaccinations at a vaccination site in a shopping mall in Pasay, Philippines. (Xinhua News Agency)
Are existing COVID-19 vaccines still effective? Will people who have been infected with other strains of the new coronavirus still be infected with the Aumechjong strain? For these common concerns, WHO released a report on 23 December that a number of preliminary studies have shown that some people who have been vaccinated against the new crown or infected with other strains of the new crown virus have reduced the immunity effect of antibodies to the Omiljun strain, and many countries have recently reported an increase in the number of cases of secondary infection of the new crown. However, data on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in preventing infection with the Aomi kerong strain are still limited, and there is no evidence of peer-reviewed studies.
As for whether the Omiljung strain affects existing COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment methods, WHO said that for now, the strain will not affect the accuracy of the current commonly used nucleic acid detection and rapid detection of antigens. Corticosteroids and interleukin-6 receptor antagonists are expected to remain effective in treating severe COVID-19 disease. Preliminary research data show that for the Omiljun strain, the neutralization ability of some monoclonal antibody drugs has declined, and related research needs to be further developed.