Since Dec 2019, the whole world has been hanging around coronavirus and covid 19. Now, when we were back to our daily routine life after a long time, the Omicron jumped in!
Omicron is no exception to coronaviruses. Omicron is like the addition of a new family member. In simple words, Omicron is just another variant of coronavirus but a little more different. The Omicron variant is not severe as the delta variant of coronaviruses. In this article, you will get to know more about the details of the Omicron variant.
Omicron Variant in Brief
On 22 November 2021, Omicron was first detected in Botswana and South Africa. On 7th January 2022, the widespread of the Omicron Variant was confirmed in 135 countries. According to an article published in science, Omicron has not evolved from any other variant of coronavirus. Researchers believe it might have evolved from a distinct track diverging in perhaps, mid-2020. Because it differs a lot from the millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes
The possible three theories that might explain the surprising genetic lineage are:
- Omicron could have circulated and evolved in a population with little surveillance and sequencing.
- It might have evolved in a nonhuman species, from which it recently spilled back into people.
- The Virus might have gestated in a chronically infected COVID-19 patient.
Is Omicron more severe than other variants?
Infection of Omicron is less severe in comparison to delta variant of coronaviruses. However, it multiplies 70 times faster than delta and other variants and is 91% less fatal than the other variants.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Omicron do not vary much, however, some differences do exist as Night sweats.The most common symptoms in the case of the Omicron variant include:
- Night Sweat(Nocturnal Hyperhidrosis)
- Loss of taste
- Loss of smell
- Cough
- Cold
- Fatigue
- Congestion
- Headaches
- Sore throat
- Sneezing and Runny Nose.
Prevention
Wearing face masks, maintaining a safe distance and proper vaccinations are some preventive measures as COVID-19.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
