Five things to know about omicron, new COVID-19 ‘variant of concern’

The announcement of a COVID-19 variant called B.1.1529 this week by scientists in South Africa, where it was first discovered, has shaken governments and financial markets around the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency meeting on Friday, designating the new strain, which it called omicron, a “variant of concern” or VOC, a label used when a particular strain is particularly virulent, transmissible or capable of to combat public health measures.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst fall in a single day of the year, plunging more than 900 points.

And several nations, including the United States, quickly introduced travel restrictions, as the omicron variant was also discovered in Israel, Hong Kong, Botswana and Belgium.

Expert in infectious diseases Anthony FauciAnthony FauciPoll: The majority of Thanksgiving hosts who do not require the COVID-19 vaccine mask Overnight Health Care – Feds, the military’s top 90 percent vaccination rate Fauci says changing the definition of fully vaccinated to include boosters is ‘on the table’ ‘MORE said Friday that the United States is “rushing” for information on B.1.1529, but stressed that there is not enough data for immediate action.

Here’s what you need to know about omicron:

The United States restricts travel to southern Africa

U.S. senior officials said Friday that the United States would restrict travel to eight African countries from Monday because of the variant.

The affected countries are South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Malawi.

Officials say the move was made out of an “abundance of caution” and was recommended by U.S. government medical experts and the COVID-19 Response Team. The restriction does not apply to U.S. citizens or legal residents.

Fauci said in an interview with CNN on Friday that U.S. and South African researchers will hold a meeting on the new variant and its molecular composition.

Although Fauci says no cases have been discovered so far in the United States, he added that researchers need more information about the molecular composition of the variant to test for it.

“Right now we’re gathering the material with our South African colleagues to get a situation where you can actually test it directly. So right now you’re talking about a bit like a red flag that this could be a problem – but we do not know. , “said Fauci.

“Once you’ve tested it, you’ll know for sure whether or not it avoids the antibodies we make – for example, against the virus through a vaccine,” he added. “The answer is that we do not know right now, but we will certainly find out.”

Omicron has a high number of mutations

“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are worrying,” the WHO said in a Friday statement. “Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of re-infection with this variant compared to other VOCs.”

Tulio de Oliveira, a bio-informatics professor at two universities in South Africa, said during the press conference there Thursday, the new variant is “clearly different” than before, such as the delta.

De Oliveira said at least 50 B.1.1529 mutations have been identified, with more than 30 in the nail protein, the region that interacts with human cells before cell entry.

Fauci said in one interview with CNN on Friday, the variant spreads at “a reasonably fast speed.”

One hundred new cases have so far been linked to B.1.1529, said Anne von Gottberg, a clinical microbiologist and head of respiratory diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Although it is unclear whether the current coronavirus vaccines will be as effective against the new variant, many researchers seem convinced that they will, as was the case with other variants such as the highly contagious delta.

Spike protein leads to concerns

A particular concern in the new variant is the mutations that affect the nail protein, which could potentially make it more contagious.

Fauci told the store the mutations in the tip protein “raises some concerns, particularly with regard to a possible increase in transmissibility and possible evasion of the immune response.”

The UK Health Safety Agency has too recognized the potential of the mutations in the nail protein to make the variant more transferable; however, more evidence is needed to support the conclusions.

First found in South Africa, but now appears elsewhere

The first case of the B.1.1529 variant was discovered in South Africa, which has struggled to contain coronavirus along with its ongoing AIDS / HIV concerns.

Francois Balloux, director of the UCL Genetics Institute, said the new variant probably evolved in an immunocompromised person, as the virus can last longer than normal in these individuals.

It is possible that the variant occurred in an individual who was untreated for AIDS / HIV, as South Africa has the highest AIDS rate in the world.

The number of cases rose rapidly in South Africa, as only 100 were found earlier this month, and more than 1,200 cases in the country were known as of Wednesday, Axios reported.

As a result, have at least 10 countries travel ban from southern African regions in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading.

However, cases have already been identified in Europe and East Asia.

There are refueling markets

The announcement of the new variant has set in motion markets around the world as concerns arise about how much longer B.1.1529 could make the pandemic last.

On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 900 points with shares in oil, technology and electric car companies declining markedly.

Japan’s Nikkei and China’s Hang Seng Index each fell 2 percent as countries move to limit travel.

– Updated at 14:29

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