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5 positive news of the Omicron variant to end the year
The epidemic is not over yet, and we have no idea how or when it will end.
There are still many things we do not know about omicron and anticipating how the virus will develop is extremely risky.
It is impossible to rule out that the situation continues to deteriorate. However, we can discover some encouraging news that allows us to remain a little hopeful.
1. The omicron disease implies a lower risk of hospitalization and death
There is developing evidence that disease with this variation represents a lower risk of hospitalization.
The first examinations carried out in South Africa indicate a lower risk of hospitalization among individuals contaminated with omicron compared to those contaminated with other variants, in a similar period of time.
Furthermore, once hospitalized, individuals contaminated with this variant had a lower risk of serious illness in contrast to those contaminated with delta.
In any case, part of this decline is due to the high invulnerability of the population.
The decoupling between omicron disease and the number of patients who enter the ICU and die from the Coronavirus is also beginning to be illustrative in other countries.
Although it is still difficult to determine if the new variation is less destructive or if it is an impact of the invulnerability of the population (previous contaminations and inoculation), or both.
In Scotland, there are 60% fewer hospitalizations; in England, 40%; and in South Africa, 65%.
A new report from Imperial College London infers that individuals who contract omicron are less likely to require clinical care in contrast to delta variation.
In the UK, the Health Safety Agency, in its variance hazard assessment report, now considers the probability of hospitalization for omicron as a moderate relative hazard, compared to the delta, despite admitting that there is now at this time information on the severity in cases that have been taken to the emergency clinic or mortality.
2. Cases plunge into certain nations
The number of cases in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, South Africa or Austria have started to decrease.
Delta and omicron impacts are likely to join in these nations. In some of these countries, extreme security measures have been put in place again, for a few weeks.
However, in the case of South Africa, where the omicron impact seems to be clearer, the expansion has been dangerous and notable and the decline is also, by all accounts, extremely rapid.
Some assure that there will be an ascent of four or five weeks, to the top and the same time for the descent in the cases. Perhaps this is the most important information.
Although the risk of hospitalization is lower, a group of positive cases can cause the collapse of medical care. So, the drop in cases is excellent news.
3. Safe antibodies against omicron
Individuals with the two regulatory doses of the Covid-19 vaccine remain insured against hospitalization, despite having lost some protection against infection at the time of contracting the omicron.
This is presumably because most antibodies give a cellular reaction that is not impacted by this variation.
Furthermore, there is information that shows that a third of messenger RNA immunizations have a neutralization limit against omicron.
In addition, work is being done on new general immunizations against SARS-CoV-2 and each of its variations, including omicron.
4. There are powerful drugs against omicron
On the front page of the journal Science, it features the drug Paxlovid.
This is a new oral antiviral, viral protease inhibitor, suitable to decrease the danger of extreme Coronavirus by more than 90%. This antiviral has been effectively endorsed by the FDA.
The treatment is linked to another protease inhibitor, ritonavir, which has been used against HIV. Paxlovid is an inhibitor of one of the SARS-CoV-2 proteases, the putative 3CL.
Since the omicron variation has no changes in the Paxlovid-designated proteins, it is believed that this drug will be equally compelling against the new variation today. Pfizer details that in the in vitro tests carried out, this is shown to be the result.
GSK's monoclonal immune response, Sotrovimab, also has every indication of being convincing against omicron.
It indicates an immune response that binds to a specific site (epitope) of SARS-CoV-2 imparted to SARS-CoV-1 (the infection that causes SARS), which shows that this epitope is very careful. This hampers the development of resistance in the new variations.
Remdesivir, a viral RNA polymerase inhibitor, is another antiviral that, in non-hospitalized patients with manifestations of Coronavirus, has an 87% lower risk of hospitalization or death than sham treatment.
The manufacturer of Remdesivir, Gilead, has carried out an investigation of the hereditary data of omicron and has not observed transformations that influence the objective of this drug, so, in short, this antiviral is still dynamic in the face of this variation.
To date, the antiviral action of Remdesivir has been asserted in vitro against the remaining SARS-CoV-2 variations, including alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon.
5. Less contamination of lung cells
The facts really confirm that we don't have the information on people.
However, there are some starter concentrates that propose that omicron variation is less doubled in lung cells, which could be characteristic of their lower destructiveness. Despite this information, it is important to study the other organs to see what happens.
The circumstance remains extremely fragile, in particular due to the unstable expansion in the number of cases, which is bringing the welfare framework to the site of collapse.
If before 1 in 100 cases ended up in the clinic, currently, due to antibodies, it is 1 in 1,000.
In the event of a dramatic increase, hospitalizations will also increase, and the medical system will collapse, as we come to see at the beginning of the pandemic. In this regard, we must be extremely cautious.
