Omicron Variant, it cannot get worse than this: What vaccine makers are saying?

Omicron Variant, is a new Covid Variant, which has been recently identified in South Africa. The WHO reported this new strain on 24th November,2021, later it called it as "variant of concern, because cases reported are becoming more severe than ever before and there is also increased risk of reinfection. Originally, it has been referred as B.1.1.529, a new name, Omnicron, based on the Greek alphabet.

The Omicron variant, has been reported at a time, wherein the nations across the world has been continuously battling increase in the number of cases due to delta variant. Two years ago, the Coronavirus has swept the globe for nearly 2 years ago, it continues to mutate in communities. The delta variant is presently the dominant Covid-19 strain globally.

What Is the Omicron Covid Variant?

The Omicron variant, of coronavirus contains varied new mutations, around more than 30, which they fear, would allow it to spread more quicky and it is also highly infectious, when compared to delta variant. Presently, scientists are working to find out, as to whether the Omicron may cause breakthrough infections in people, who are fully vaccinated and at the same time, they are also monitoring as to whether it can cause reinfections, to those who have developed antibodies from an earlier Covid-19 infection.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-general of WHO, in his briefing, stated that the emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines as to how perilous and precarious the situation is.

Are vaccines effective against Omicron Variant?

The WHO chief, has stated that vaccines still remain effective in reducing the severity of Covid-19 disease and death, it has been witnessed during the dominant circulating variant Delta. It has also been added that, Covid -19 treatments such as IL6 Receptor Blockers and Corticosteroids have been effective in managing patients who are suffering from severe symptoms.

This month, on 28th November, the WHO has said, that, it would also assess other treatment as well, in order to know as to whether they are effective given the changes to the parts of virus, when it comes to Omnicron variant.

The WHO is also coordinating with large number of researchers worldwide, in order to better understand Omnicron and research has been still underway and it would shortly include assessments of the highly mutated strain's transmissibility, severity of infection, its symptoms, diagnostic tests, performance of vaccines.

The organization has asked the varied nations, worldwide to provide the hospitalized patient's data through WHO Covid-19 Clinical Data platform and rapidly describe clinical characteristics as well as patient outcomes among all those infected with Omnicron variant.

More information would emerge, in coming days as well as weeks as TAG-VE Would continue to monitor as well as evaluate the data, stated the WHO.

Dr Anthony Fauci, US Top infectious disease expert, who is also White House Chief medical advisor, in his televised marks, it appears to be, it has got bunch of mutations. Fauci has stated, there has beeb disturbingly very large number of mutations, with regards to spike protein, in other words, it is business end of virus.

What Vaccine Maker saying?

Pfizer's co-manufacturer, BioNTech has stated that, it is capable of tweaking as well as launching a new updated version of its Covid-19 mRNA vaccine in mere 100 days, in case the newly detected, an Omicron variant novel coronavirus is spreading in South Africa is capable of evading the jabs immunity.

Moderna

This company is another leading Covid-19 vaccine maker, it has stated that, it is capable of developing a booster shot against the new variant.

Johnson & Johnson

The above company is pursuing an Omicron specific variant vaccine and it would progress if it required.

Astrazeneca

The above company stated that, it has developed a vaccine platform to respond quickly to new variants with Oxford University, where the Vaccine was created.

Sputnik

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which backs Covid-19 Vaccine Sputnik's V's development by the state-run Gamaleya Center, have stated the jab is effective against omicron but they are also developing adapter booster.

Novavax

The above company has said, they have been working on a version of its Covid-19 vaccine in order to target the variant detected in South Africa.

Inovio

The inovio Pharmaceuticals inc has said, that it has already begun testing its vaccine candidate, INO-480 in order to evaluate its effectiveness against the new variant.

The company also stated that, it is simultaneously designing a new vaccine candidate which has been specifically targeted omnicron.