Whether the Omikejung variant can end the COVID-19 pandemic remains to be determined.
On January 31, local time, the famous academic journal Nature magazine released "Can Omi Kerong end the new crown epidemic?" The expert said so" article. Experts point out that it is still uncertain when the new crown epidemic will end, but Omi kerong will not be the last mutant.
There is no guarantee that the next variant will be milder
Since its discovery in November 2021, the Omiljung mutant strain has rapidly spread to about 150 countries and regions around the world, and has become the main epidemic strain in many countries and regions.
Japan's "Tokyo Shimbun" reported that the World Health Organization named the current main popular types and subtypes of the Olmi kerong variant "BA.1" and "BA.2" respectively.
On January 31, local time, according to Reuters, the new crown cases infected with "BA.1" accounted for 98% of the global infection with the Olmikharong variant.
The rapid spread of the Omikejong mutation has caused widespread concern among scientists around the world. Quoting scientists, Nature said, "Covid-19 patients infected with Opmi kerong can double in two days, which spreads much faster than previous COVID-19 variants." The World Health Organization also described its transmission speed as unprecedented.
WHO: Omi kerong may infect 60% of the population in Europe before March, which may bring the epidemic in Europe to an end. /Beijing News our video
Despite the rapid spread of Omilon around the world, the condition it caused did not appear to be as severe as initially feared, with hospitalization and severe illness rates declining, and some scientists have speculated that the high contagiousness and low pathogenicity of Omiljung may herald the "beginning" of the outbreak.
In this regard, a number of scientists interviewed by the journal Nature disagreed, among them, Graham Medley, a professor who studies disease models at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "Omiljung will not be the last mutant, the next variant will also have its characteristics." ”
As for how the characteristics of the mutant strains that may occur after The Omilon will evolve, the Nature article said that although there is no guarantee that the next variant will be milder, the trend of variation in the current trend seems to be becoming more and more moderate.
Julian Don, a medical scientist at Leicester Royal Hospital in the UK, also said: "The new coronavirus variant strain is constantly iterating and seems to be becoming more and more moderate. ”
WHO: This year may end the worst phase of the epidemic, but it does not mean "the end of the new crown". /Beijing News our video
Earlier, on 24 January, WHO also warned that the COVID-19 pandemic had killed nearly 6 million people, believing that "Omilon would be the last mutant, or that "COVID-19 is coming to an end" was dangerous, and advising countries to concentrate on the current outbreak.
The Olmikerjung subtype has become the main danish strain
Recently, the Aumi kerong subtype "BA.2", which is more powerful than the main popular strain of "BA.1", has aroused the vigilance of many scientists. Because the Aomi Kejung subtype is not easy to detect in nucleic acid testing, it is also known as "Invisible Semicon".
According to a number of foreign media reports, at least 40 countries have found the Aumi Kejung subtype variant. The BA.2 subtype variant has been detected in countries such as the United States, India, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. In Denmark, the BA.2 subtype variant has replaced the original Omikeron as the main popular strain.
Denmark's top infectious disease research agency said preliminary studies have shown that the Aumi kejung subtype BA.2, while unlikely to cause serious disease, is more contagious than the original Aumi kerong variant, BA.1.
"If you've been exposed to cases of BA.2 infection at home, you have a 39 percent chance of getting infected within a week. If you've been exposed to a case of BA.1 infection, the probability of being infected is 29 percent," Frederick Pricener, lead author of the study, said in an interview with Reuters.
In a report by Reuters on January 31 local time, Pricener said that this shows that BA.2 is about 33% more contagious than BA.1.
On January 28, 2022, local time, in Osaka, Japan, people wore masks and walked on the streets. Figure/IC photo
Earlier, on January 30, Japan's Tokyo Shimbun reported that researchers found that data showed that BA.2's ability to spread was 18% higher than that of ba.1, which is currently the main epidemic.
The study also showed that BA.2 was more susceptible to infection with people who received the vaccine and booster vaccines than BA.1, suggesting that the variant had a more pronounced "immune-evasive property."
Also discovering BA.2 is the United Kingdom. The HEALTH SECURITY agency said in the UK, the BA.2 subtype variant had a "significant" growth advantage over the original Omikeron strain.
"From the current situation in the UK, we have found that the BA.2 subtype variant strain spreads faster than the original Omikejong strain." Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to the UK Health Security Agency, said.
Cases of BA.2 have also occurred in countries such as the United States and India, but their severity is lower than that of Denmark.
In addition, preliminary analysis by the institute showed no difference in the risk of hospitalization in BA.2 compared to BA.1. Dr. Ion Ozzer, an infectious disease specialist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said the good news is that vaccinations and boosters can still "keep people out of hospitals and not die."
Reporter | Vermilion red
Edit | Wu Tingting