Omicron spreading faster than Delta variant

Omicron spreading faster than Delta variant: Vaccinated people also getting infected. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that the Omicron strain of coronavirus is spreading more quickly than those of the Delta variant and has caused infections among people who have already been vaccinated and those recovering from COVID-19 illness.

WHO Chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said it is “unwise” to conclude from preliminary findings that Omicron was a less severe variant than the previous ones.” 

With the number of cases rising, every health system is going to be put under pressure,” Soumya Swaminathan told Geneva-based journalists.

READ MORE: COVID-19 Cases in Canada Reported 9000 on Monday.

The mutation can evade specific immunological responses explained. This means that the booster programs being implemented in various countries should target people with lower immune systems.

“There is no consistent evidence that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the briefing. 

“And it is more likely people vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 could be infected or re-infected,” Tedros declared.

Their remarks echoed those of the study conducted by Imperial College London, which declared last week that the risk of recurrence was five times more and is not showing any signs of being any more ailment than Delta.

WHO officials have said that different forms of vaccinations could help prevent disease and infection. 

Although the immune defenses against specific actions have been weakened, there is hope that T-cells, which are the second component of the immune system, could prevent the spread of disease by attacking infected human cells.

WHO Expert Abdi Mahamud added, “Although we see a reduction in the neutralization antibodies, almost all preliminary analysis shows T-cell mediated immunity remains intact. That is what we require.”

In addition, he highlighted the lack of information on the best way to deal with the new variant discovered in the last month. Swaminathan declared: “Of course, there is a challenge. Many of the monoclonals will not work with Omicron.”

She did not provide details when she spoke about the therapies that mimic natural antibodies in fighting diseases. However, certain drug companies have suggested similar treatments.