French scientists claim that they discovered another Coronavirus variant that contains multiple mutations. At the same time, the world continues to combat the rapid spread of the previously detected Omicron variant and the persistent Delta variant. Health experts at the IHU Méditerranée Infection in Marseille said they discovered the new COOVID-19 variant in twelve patients living near Marseille.
However, the first patient tested positive with the variant after traveling to the central African country of Cameroon. According to French scientists, they identified forty-six mutations in the newly detected variant. The scientists dubbed mutations B.1.640.2, making it more resistant to Coronavirus vaccines and more contagious than the original.
French scientists have discovered a new Coronavirus variant with 46 mutations, making it even more contagious than previously detected Omicron. Scientists labeled the new strain “ihu” or variant “B.1.640.2.”https://t.co/xmIYJhZWgR pic.twitter.com/QHBcKsJ5Sh
— Live News Now (@LiveNewsNow6) January 5, 2022
The experts posted the results on MedRxiv, the online health sciences outlet, which publishes studies that were not published or peer-reviewed in an academic journal. The World Health Organization (WHO) didn’t label it a variant of concern, and still, it is undetected in any other country. Another recent study out of Denmark reveals that the Omicron variant is better at avoiding the immune system, even in individuals vaccinated against the virus.
Omicron is more Infectious than Delta
In a study of twelve thousand households, scientists at the University of Copenhagen found that the Omicron variant was between 2.7 and 3.7 times more contagious than the Delta variant among immunized Danes. Furthermore, the not peer-reviewed study found that unvaccinated people are more likely to spread the virus than those who received full vaccination and a booster dose.
Against the Omicron variant, the effectiveness of the vaccine was cut to around forty percent against symptoms and eighty percent against severe illness. Additionally, booster doses improved those numbers to eighty-six percent against symptoms and ninety-eight percent against severe illness. The researcher wrote that their findings of the virus confirm that the swift spread of the Omicron variant primarily recognized the immune ambiguousness instead of an inherent surge in the basic transmissibility.
The Outbreak of Omicron
The spread of Omicron continues to cause chaos in cities and nations across the world, pushing excessive strains on health care systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), as of Saturday, Omicron represented around 95.4 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country. According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Resource Center, Omicron beat Delta as the dominant variant since its initial detection in the United States on 1st December, driving daily cases past the one million marks on Monday.
In addition, the numbers are almost double that of the record of around five hundred, ninety thousand sets just the previous week, fueled mainly by the Omicron variant. The CDC also revealed that Omicron accounted for nearly seventy-seven percent of cases in the United States in the week ending 25th December, a percentage sharply greater than its previous 58.6 percent estimate announced last week.
Health officials in the most populous state New South Wales of Australia, reported over twenty-three thousand new Coronavirus infections on Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of around 22577 new infections set on the eve of New Year and 1344 hospitalizations, beating the record of 1268 hospitalizations back in September, at the peak of the Delta variant outbreak. Nearby Victoria state recorded around fourteen thousand and twenty new virus cases Tuesday.
Source: Web
The states of South Australia and Queensland and the island of Tasmania posted record numbers of new cases Tuesday, driving the total number of Coronavirus cases in Australia past the five hundred thousand cases milestone. In addition, the increase in cases led to a critical shortage of staffers at hospitals across the country, with health care workers laid off after contracting the COVID-19.
Omicron Drives Confusing Policy in Israel amid 4th Dose
On Sunday, the highly contagious Omicron variant sets infection records which results in outpacing the ability of the government to make and execute clear pandemic public policy. In addition, contact tracing in the county becomes more complicated amid the shortages of tests. On the other hand, the government plans to tighten requirements for testing to release the stress on overloaded testing stations.
More Evidence that Omicron Variant Causes Milder Symptoms – WHO
The latest evidence reveals that the Omicron COVID-19 variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract of the human body to cause milder symptoms than past detected variants and resulting in a dissociating in some places between mounting case numbers and low death rates, according to an official of World Health Organization. WHO data reveals that it spread instantly and emerged in at least one hundred and twenty-eight nations, presenting problems for several countries and individuals asking to restart their economies and lives after approximately two years of Coronavirus-related disruptions.
Read Also: Booster Shots are 80% Effective Against Omicron Variant
