COVID-19: Experts Find New Omicron-like Variant In Australia, What You Need To Know

According to recent reports, scientists in Australia have identified a “stealth” variant of Omicron that cannot be distinguished from other variants using the PCR tests that public health officials use to assess the spread of the disease worldwide.

Australia Reports A New Version Of Omicron Variant: What You Need To Know

According to the state’s acting chief health officer Peter Aitken, the new lineage has half as many gene variations as the original ancestor and cannot be detected with typical screenings. The Coronavirus was detected in a traveller who arrived from South Africa on Saturday and tested positive [1].

• The new lineage has enough markers for it to be classified as Omicron.
• The new lineage has approximately half, or 14, of the genome mutations that characterize the conventional omicron variant but does not contain the s-gene dropout, making PCR testing more difficult.
• Even though the variant is still detected by all the usual tests for Coronavirus and can be distinguished from the Omicron variant through genomic analysis, probable cases are not diagnosed through routine PCR tests that give quick results.
• Researchers say that it is too early to predict whether the new form of Omicron will spread in the same manner as the standard variant; however, the stealthy version is genetically distinct and may behave differently.
• In recent days, coronavirus genomes from South Africa, Australia and Canada have been submitted, and so far, seven cases have been confirmed, but the disease may already be widespread.
• Currently, there are insufficient data regarding the clinical severity and vaccine efficacy of the Omicron variant.
• Consequently, the findings are expected to result in a better understanding of Omicron’s potential spread in all communities.

The B.1.1.529 variant, dubbed Omicron by WHO, was classified as a variant of concern by the Technical Advisory Group for Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) on 26 November 2021. Omicron has prompted countries around the world to tighten travel restrictions in light of uncertainty over the new B.1.1.529 variant [2].

This variant was first identified in Southern Africa due to Botswana’s advanced medical research system and the world’s largest gene sequencing facility. It is believed to be spreading faster than the Delta variant, the world’s predominant strain.

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According to experts, omicron has more than 30 mutations – more than any variant and twice as many as Delta. Health experts in the UK claim that two of these mutations – R203K and G204R – help the virus replicate more rapidly. And three of these mutations – H655Y, N679K, and P681H – contribute to the virus’s ability to enter the cells of the body more easily. The presence of these last two mutations together, a rare event, suggests that Omicron is more resistant to vaccines.

On A Final Note…

Although the new lineage has enough markers to be classified as Omicron, not enough is known about severity or vaccine effectiveness. In light of this discovery, scientists might be set back in their aim to understand the full impact of the omicron variant. This includes its virulence and the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the risk of severe disease. As viruses mutate, most of the genetic changes are innocuous. However, some of these changes may increase the mutant’s ability to infect cells, for instance, or evade antibodies.

Story first published: Friday, December 10, 2021, 21:54 [IST]

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