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The Omikron variant has already reached Poland. Its appearance a few weeks ago in southern Africa caused public unrest around the world. Mostly because scientists said from the beginning that it might be more infectious than the Delta variant. Today we have the first research to shed new light on mutation.
- The Omikron variant was first detected in southern Africa. He soon reached Europe as well
- The Secretary General of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that Omikron is now in all countries of the world. On December 16, the first case of infection with Omikron was recorded in Poland
- On Monday, the media reported that Omikron will become the dominant variant in the UK within 48 hours. It was also there that the first fatal case of an Omikron infection was recorded
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
The omicron multiplies faster than the Delta variant
Since the Omikron variant emerged in southern Africa and was classified by the WHO as a mutation that needs to be looked at, scientists have been collecting and analyzing more data.
So we already know a bit about the symptoms that are observed in people infected with Omikron. We also know that in the UK it is rapidly replacing the Delta variant responsible for the fourth wave.
- See also: Symptoms of Omicron infection. What do we know at the moment?
From the preprint of the study by Hong Kong scientists, we learn in turn that the Omikron variant multiplies 70 times faster than the Delta variant – this would explain why it is moving so quickly between countries and is replacing its predecessor.
The rest of the text is below the video.
Omicron multiplies faster, but only in the respiratory tract. What does it mean?
An important piece of information from Hong Kong scientists, however, is that this much faster multiplication of the virus affects only one area of the host’s body – its airways. In the lungs, the situation is completely different. There, the Omikron multiplies 10 times slower than the Delta variant.
This, in turn, may explain why Omicron infections are milder than those caused by the Delta variant. However, this does not mean that the new variant does not pose a serious threat. First of all, because it all depends on the individual characteristics of infected people.
“It should be noted that whether the disease is severe for humans is not only determined by viral replication, but also by the individual immune response of each person to an infection, which sometimes turns into life-threatening inflammation,” adds Dr. Michael Chan Chi-wai.
- Editors recommend: Virologist reveals how to protect yourself from Omicron. One thing is most important
Omicron partially eludes vaccines and antibodies of convalescents
Thus, scientists were also able to determine that Omikron may also pose a threat to recoveries and vaccinated people. It is supposed to have the ability to partially escape the antibodies produced by the human body. This, combined with the high infectivity of Omicron, could pose a serious threat.
By infecting many people, a highly contagious virus can cause severe disease and even death, despite the fact that the virus itself is less pathogenic. Therefore, bearing in mind our recent research showing that the Omikron variant may partially elude immunity after vaccination or disease, the overall risk could be very significant, concludes Dr. Michael Chan Chi-wai.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
Also read:
- How Much Does COVID-19 Treatment Cost At Home? Here is my kit
- This is how the coronavirus kills. The doctor tells you what “fails” in the body
- Dr. Fauci: The third dose protects against the Omicron. “The message remains clear”
- Doctor Cautions: Omikron and Delta May Create a New Coronavirus Super Variant
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