The first case of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron was detected in South Africa, but now it has spread to about 12 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding the very serious consequences of the new variant and said that and risk of spreading infection from Omicron is very high.
In India, no cases of the new variant have been detected yet, but the government says it is preparing to deal with it.
Amid fears that the current coronavirus might not be effective against Omicron, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, has said that the efficacy of the Covishield vaccine against the variant will be known in the next 2-3 weeks.
Speaking to NDTV, Poonawalla said that at present, it cannot be said whether Omicron is more serious or not. A booster dose might be possible with Omicron in mind, he said, adding that the focus of the government should be on giving both doses of the corona vaccine to everyone for the time being.
Poonawalla also said that studies about the effect of Covishield on Omicron are underway and we should wait for a few weeks. Oxford scientists are engaged in research and based on their findings, a new vaccine might be developed, which can be introduced as a booster dose in the coming six months, he said.
Notably, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria has expressed worries about the new variant. As per Dr Guleria, the Omicron variant’s exceptionally high number of mutations in the spike protein means that the strain can potentially develop an ‘immune-escape mechanism’. Therefore, the efficacy of vaccines against the variant will need to be critically examined.
“The new variant of coronavirus reportedly has got more than 30 mutations at the spike protein region and therefore has the potential of developing immune-escape mechanisms. As most vaccines (work by) forming antibodies against the spike protein, so many mutations at the spike protein region may lead to a decreased efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.
The new variant is being closely monitored by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG). The Omicron variant has not yet been detected in India, as per officials.
