Omicron: Understanding the Latest Variant of SARS‐CoV‐2 and Strategies for Tackling the Infection

• Published in: Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology 2022-07, Vol.23 (14), p.e202200126-n/a
• Main Authors: Obireddy, Sreekanth Reddy, Guntakanti, Ujwala, Kowthalam, Anitha, Marata Chinna Subbarao, Subha, Lai, Wing‐Fu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Humans; infection control; omicron; Review; Reviews; S glycoprotein; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; variant of concern; Viral Vaccines
• ISSN: 1439-4227; 1439-7633; 1439-7633
• DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200126

The new variant of concern of SARS‐CoV‐2, namely Omicron, has triggered global fear recently. To date, our knowledge of Omicron, particularly of how S glycoprotein mutations affect the infectivity of the virus and the severity of the infection, is far from complete. This hinders our ability to treat the disease and to predict the future state of SARS‐CoV‐2 threats to well‐being and economic stability. Despite this, efforts have been made to unveil the routes of transmission and the efficiency of existing vaccines in tackling Omicron. This article reviews the latest understanding of Omicron and the current status of the use of vaccines and drugs for infection control. It is hoped that this article can offer insights into the development of more effective measures to tackle the pandemic. The Omicron variant can be classified as BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. Due to mutations in genes encoding its S protein and other parts of the virus, concerns have been raised regarding the effectiveness of existing vaccines and diagnostic tools to fight against Omicron infection.