Medical experts across the world are concerned about the newly detected omicron variant and its spread which is being termed as more lethal and faster than any of the prevalent strains.
According to a new report published by the University of Hong Kong omicron variant multiplies 70 times faster in the human bronchial tubes than the initial COVID-19 infection or the delta variant.
Researchers state that “the lightning-fast spread within people may explain why the variant may transmit faster among humans than previous versions.”
The study also depicts that “the omicron infection in the lung is definitely lower than the original SARS-CoV-2 which showcases that the new variant has a lower severity as compared to the other variants.”
“By infecting many more people, a very infectious virus may cause more severe disease and death even though the virus itself may be less pathogenic,” said Dr. Michael Chan Chi-wai, the study’s principal investigator. “Therefore, taken together with our recent studies showing that the omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from omicron variant is likely to be very significant.”
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that up till now omicron variant has been detected in 36 different states of America. 75 countries have reported positive cases from omicron variants across the globe.
European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen states that “it is expected that the omicron variant will become the dominant coronavirus variant in the European nations by mid-January.”
According to CDC, “the omicron variant of the coronavirus is moving faster than surveillance systems can track it and has now unnerved some medical experts that they’re starting to put the brakes on preparations for their holiday gatherings.”
“My guess is that omicron will become the dominant variant in early January 2022,” said Dennis Cunningham, Henry Ford Health System’s medical director of infection control and prevention.
