Omicron FAQ: How is it different from other variants? Is it a ‘super-variant?’ Can it evade vaccines? How transmissible is it?
Omicron FAQ: How is it different from other variants? Is it a ‘super-variant?’ Can it evade vaccines? How transmissible is it?
Dasantila Golemi-Kotra
Professor, Biology,
York University, Canada
Omicron, the first COVID-19 variant to have been upgraded to a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in a matter of days, came on the radar of the Lancet Laboratory in South Africa, on Nov. 8, although it is suspected to have been circulating earlier.
Due to their excellent genomic surveillance system, the South African health authorities reported the cases of this variant very quickly. Unlike other variants, Omicron can be detected using a reliable PCR test without requiring whole-genome sequencing, which has allowed rapid monitoring of its spread.
By Nov. 23, 1,100 cases of the variant (73 per cent of all the positive cases) had been detected in the Gauteng province of South Africa, up from 10 recorded in early November. As of Dec. 3, Omicron had officially surpassed the Delta variant in South Africa.
The effective reproduction number (the number of people infected by a single infected individual) for Omicron is estimated to be above six, while the effective reproduction number for Delta was estimated around five and the reproduction number for a very contagious disease like chickenpox is nine.
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