New study: Omicron is 4 times more portable than Delta
The new mutant escapes natural immunity and that created through vaccines
Omicron is the 'most differentiated' strain of the five WHO categorized variants of concern
01:47 PM Dec 09 2021 Updated 01:57 PM Dec 09 2021
Blood samples during a coronavirus antibody test at Chiba University Hospital, Japan
Blood samples during a coronavirus antibody test at Chiba University Hospital, Japan
Source: Bloomberg
Source: Bloomberg
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The “Omicron” variant of the Corona strain is 4.2 times more transmissible compared to the “Delta” variant, according to a study conducted by a Japanese scientist working as a consultant to the country’s Ministry of Health, a finding that may confirm concerns about the infection of the new strain.
Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor of health and environmental sciences at Kyoto University who specializes in mathematical models of infectious diseases, analyzed genetic data available as of November 26 in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
escape from immunity
His findings, which were presented at a meeting of an advisory committee of the Japanese Ministry of Health on Wednesday, reported that the "first-stage omicron" variant transmits more virus, escaping the immunity built naturally, and that built through vaccines more.
Read also: The International Monetary Fund may lower the forecast for global economic growth due to “Omicron”
There are global concerns that Omicron could deal the world an even bigger hit than Delta, and the World Health Organization has warned it could lead to "grave consequences". But the jump in cases in South Africa following the emergence of the viral variant has not yet reversed, with overcrowding in hospitals, leading to some optimism that it may only cause mostly mild symptoms. Pfizer and Biontech also announced this week that a booster dose of their vaccine could enhance protection against Omicron.
The most distinct breed
Nishiura's study has not been reviewed and published in a scientific journal. He performed the new analysis in the same way he used in a study published in July by the medical journal Eurosurveillance on delta dominance expected before the Tokyo Olympics.
Also read: "Omicron" accelerates efforts to develop the new generation of "Covid" vaccines
Hundreds of researchers globally are racing to understand the new 'Omicron' variant, the most differentiated strain to date of the five worrisome variants identified by the World Health Organization since the pandemic began. Cases in South Africa have risen rapidly to about 20,000 a day since the country first reported the discovery of Omicron two weeks ago. While the number of cases in the country was low in the weeks prior to the discovery of the new variant, only 26 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated so far, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.
"The vaccination rate in South Africa is less than 30%, and many people may have been infected naturally," Nishiora noted. "We need to pay close attention to future trends to see if the same will happen in countries where mRNA vaccines are being used at a high rate," he added.
New study: Omicron is 4 times more portable than Delta The new mutant escapes natural immunity and that created through vaccines Omicron is the 'most differentiated' strain of the five WHO categorized variants of concern 01:47 PM Dec 09 2021 Updated 01:57 PM Dec 09 2021 Blood samples during a coronavirus antibody test at Chiba University Hospital, Japan Blood samples during a coronavirus antibody test at Chiba University Hospital, Japan Source: Bloomberg Source: Bloomberg Reading Scale Adjustment p p p Share this article In this article PFE Pfizer Inc 51.40 -0.62% BNTX Piontech SE 291.94 -3.55% Tokyo Updated: 45 minutes ago 9°C scattered clouds Great / Minor 10°/6° 4.8 km/h 63% The “Omicron” variant of the Corona strain is 4.2 times more transmissible compared to the “Delta” variant, according to a study conducted by a Japanese scientist working as a consultant to the country’s Ministry of Health, a finding that may confirm concerns about the infection of the new strain.
Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor of health and environmental sciences at Kyoto University who specializes in mathematical models of infectious diseases, analyzed genetic data available as of November 26 in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
escape from immunity His findings, which were presented at a meeting of an advisory committee of the Japanese Ministry of Health on Wednesday, reported that the "first-stage omicron" variant transmits more virus, escaping the immunity built naturally, and that built through vaccines more.
Read also: The International Monetary Fund may lower the forecast for global economic growth due to “Omicron”
There are global concerns that Omicron could deal the world an even bigger hit than Delta, and the World Health Organization has warned it could lead to "grave consequences". But the jump in cases in South Africa following the emergence of the viral variant has not yet reversed, with overcrowding in hospitals, leading to some optimism that it may only cause mostly mild symptoms. Pfizer and Biontech also announced this week that a booster dose of their vaccine could enhance protection against Omicron.
The most distinct breed Nishiura's study has not been reviewed and published in a scientific journal. He performed the new analysis in the same way he used in a study published in July by the medical journal Eurosurveillance on delta dominance expected before the Tokyo Olympics.
Also read: "Omicron" accelerates efforts to develop the new generation of "Covid" vaccines
Hundreds of researchers globally are racing to understand the new 'Omicron' variant, the most differentiated strain to date of the five worrisome variants identified by the World Health Organization since the pandemic began. Cases in South Africa have risen rapidly to about 20,000 a day since the country first reported the discovery of Omicron two weeks ago. While the number of cases in the country was low in the weeks prior to the discovery of the new variant, only 26 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated so far, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.
"The vaccination rate in South Africa is less than 30%, and many people may have been infected naturally," Nishiora noted. "We need to pay close attention to future trends to see if the same will happen in countries where mRNA vaccines are being used at a high rate," he added.