
A new strain of coronavirus "omicron" could have a serious impact on the development of the pandemic, according to a report (pdf *) by the World HEALTH Organization (WHO). According to the document, "the overall risk associated with the new variant of the omicron coronavirus is assessed as very high."
Concerns are related to the fact that the omicron strain has an “unprecedented” number of mutations in the spike protein (this protein forms spikes on the surface of the coronavirus, with which it attaches to receptors on healthy cells) and some of them “are of concern because of the potential influence on the development of the pandemic. According to preliminary data, this strain may be more contagious than its predecessors. The study of "omicron" continues: experts are studying to what extent it is more easily transmitted between people, whether it can be dangerous for those who have already recovered from other strains of coronavirus. In addition, it needs to be further explored whether existing vaccines will be effective against the new strain.
Spread of coronavirus covid-19 in the world November 29 Number of confirmed cases of infection <1000 0 <100,000 0 <1,000,000 0 <10,000,000 0 from 10,000,000 0 Created with Highmaps 5.0.10020M40M60MZoom in+Zoom out- Source: JHU Data around the world i
“Depending on these characteristics, if there is another major outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron strain, the consequences could be severe. An increase in the number of patients, regardless of whether the severity of the disease increases, can lead to a high burden on health systems and cause an increase in morbidity and mortality, ”the report says. The new strain poses a particularly serious threat to citizens from risk groups (the elderly, patients with chronic diseases), especially in countries where the level of vaccination of the population is still not high enough.
Therefore, WHO experts recommend paying attention to all signs of possible outbreaks of the omicron strain - these are sharp bursts of incidence, including among already immunized population groups. Member States should report cases of omicron detection to WHO. When collecting data on cases, it is recommended that special attention be paid to whether they have been vaccinated and whether they have had COVID-19 before.