Omicron: A new face of COVID‐19 pandemic

• Published in: Health Science Reports 2022-03, Vol.5 (2), p.e526-n/a
• Main Authors: Khan, Amjad, Bibi, Salma, Kanwal, Hafsa, Umm‐e‐Kalsoom, Hussain, Hidayat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conflicts of interest; Coronaviruses; Correspondence; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Diagnostic tests; Disease transmission; Expatriates; FDA approval; Global Health; Immunization; Infectious Diseases; Mutation; Pandemics; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Vaccines; Virology; Zero tolerance
• ISSN: 2398-8835; 2398-8835
• DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.526

The mutations in B.1.1.529 may lead to certain changes in the pattern of disease, such as an increase in transmissibility, change in COVID-19 etiology, increase in virulence, change in symptomatic presentation, efficacy of public health and social measures or available diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapeutics; thus, implicating a global health concern.1 These amino acid mutations occur in the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of virus. Omicron is more likely to infect upper respiratory tract than lungs, thus making it more infectious and less deadly than previous variants.4, 5 Vaccines efficacy Populations having no immunization status are at higher risk of infections from Omicron with more severe attack.2 According to UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA), third COVID-19 vaccine dose (booster) can provide higher protection against Omicron and reduces the risk of hospitalization up to 88% in infected patients.6 Reinfection rate In comparison to other VOCs, Omicron poses a higher risk of reinfection.1 A person who was previously infected with COVID-19, has 51/2% more risk of reinfection with Omicron than reinfection with Delta variant.7 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, being used for the detection of previous strains, continues to detect the Omicron variant.1 Corticosteroids and IL-6 receptor blockers have shown efficacy to manage severe infections with Omicron as for its antecedents.2 Food and Drug Administration has recently approved Paxlovid and monoclonal antibodies (Softrovimab) that have shown promising results to fight against Coronavirus; Molnupiravir is also under consideration.8 A new Coronavirus antibody, Xevudy (Sotrovimab), has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and is claimed to have effectiveness against Omicron.9 The detection of Omicron has triggered the global alarm, WHO reports that the spread of omicron is so fast that has not been observed for any previous Coronavirus strains.1 So far, Omicron has been detected in more than 108 countries across all continents.6 Emergence of Omicron is a stark reminder of ongoing threat by continuous evolution of COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of the newest strain demonstrates that the pandemic is far from ending, and appropriate behavior is crucial for breaking the transmission chain that is masking, social distancing, good ventilation in all common locations, and regularly washing or sanitizing hands and surfaces, meanwhile, mass vaccination campaigns to achiev