[Epoch Times November 30, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Xu Jian comprehensive report) The emergence of a new variant of the Chinese Communist virus (new coronavirus, COVID-19) Omicron has made people around the world feel relaxed and nervous again. As WHO assessed Omicron’s risk as “very high” on Monday (November 29), experts around the world are trying to find answers to the three most critical questions.
The three questions are, is the 1.Omicron variant more communicable? 2. Is it more dangerous/fatal than other variants? 3. Is the current vaccine still effective?
G7: New variants are “highly contagious”
The “G7” meeting of health ministers convened urgently on Monday stated that the Omicron variant is “highly tranmissible” and requires “urgent action”. G7 also praised South Africa’s efforts in detecting strains and reminding the world. “Exemplary Behavior”.
In the statement after the emergency meeting, the health ministers of the seven countries emphasized the “strategic significance of ensuring access to vaccines”, pledged to abide by donation commitments, and provide support for research and development. They will also hold a new meeting in December, promising to work closely with WHO and international partners to share information about Omicron.
However, a statement issued by the World Health Organization last Sunday stated that it is not clear whether Omicron is more contagious than other variants, and whether it will cause more serious illness.
However, the WHO cites data from South Africa, showing that hospitalization rates there are rising. In recent weeks, there have been more than 200 new confirmed cases every day in South Africa, but last Saturday it suddenly soared to more than 3,200, most of which occurred in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. Tulio de Oliveira, a virologist in the country, said that 90% of patients in Gauteng are Omicron cases.
Is Omicron more dangerous and deadly?
The new variant virus has an unprecedented large number of mutations. There are about 30 mutations in the spike protein, and this is a key link that determines the ease of transmission of the virus to humans.
Sharon Peacock, who once led the COVID-19 gene sequencing at the University of Cambridge in the UK, said that the data so far show that this new variant is “more transmissible” and that the serious harm of many of its mutations in humans is “not known. “.
Although so far, there is no indication that Omicron will cause more serious diseases, but Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, described Omicron as “the most severe variant virus we have ever seen”, including its There may be some worrying changes.
Peacock of the University of Cambridge said that it is not clear that Omicron will replace the Delta virus: “We don’t know whether the new variant will gain a foothold in the area where Delta is located.” “How does this new variant perform when other variants are rampant. , There is no conclusion yet.” Delta is currently the main global COVID-19 virus, accounting for more than 99% of the sequences submitted to the global public database.
The CCP virus will mutate as it spreads, but many new variants usually disappear. Peacock said that some viruses stay in people with weakened immune systems and have a chance to undergo genetic mutations.
Is the vaccine still effective?
Can Omicron evade the protection of vaccines? Or are people who have already contracted the disease not spared? The WHO said it expects to get more data in the coming weeks.
Due to the numerous mutations of the Omicron mutant strain, which combines the mutation characteristics of the previous mutants such as Alpha, Gamma, and Lambda, numerous spike protein mutations will affect the ability of the virus to infect cells and spread. Therefore, some experts worry that Omicron may be able to evade the vaccine. And the human body epidemic prevention system.
But Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said that the current vaccine is effective against many virus variants, so it is “very unlikely” to fail.
But some experts said that Omicron’s large-scale genetic changes are worrying, which may mean that vaccine manufacturers may have to adjust their products.
In fact, since the news of the new variant came out last Thursday, several major vaccine companies such as Pfizer and Modena have begun to study and adjust the current vaccine. Pfizer said that if necessary, a new version of the vaccine can be prepared within 100 days.
Bloomberg reported that drugmakers have been preparing for new variants for several months. Both Pfizer and Moderna use messenger RNA technology to shorten the time for new vaccines to only a few months. While Johnson & Johnson uses “viral vector” technology, the company is also developing a vaccine specifically for new variants. Another vaccine manufacturer, AstraZeneca, said on Friday that it is also studying new variants.
Are travel restrictions reasonable?
Omicron has triggered a wave of travel restrictions around the world. More and more countries have imposed travel restrictions on Southern Africa. Many countries have also adopted stricter travel measures. Israel and Japan have been “closed.”
On Monday, the United States imposed travel restrictions on flights from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. So far, no cases have been confirmed in the United States, but the new variant has been detected at the Canadian border, and experts say it may soon appear in the United States.
Infectious disease expert Neil Ferguson said that in view of the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in South Africa, restricting travel from the region is “prudent” and will buy more time for other countries.
Since much of Omicron’s situation is still unknown, health officials in various countries believe that vaccination and booster are still the best protection measures.
Editor in charge: Lin Yan#
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