Omicron Variant of Corona Virus' Covid-19 Pandemic Waves: Any Cause for Alarm?
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Abstract
This abstract looks at the present wave of Omicron B.1.1.529 variant of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) causing COVID-19 epidemic spikes across the world which was first reported in South Africa in November 2021. The viral variant has rapidly spread to all continents of the world and more than half of the countries of the world. So far while the virus is said to have a much higher transmissibility rate compared to the previous epidemic spikes caused by earlier variants, it is generally said to have a milder disease course and infects both the vaccinated and unvaccinated as well. Vaccines are said to prevent severe disease and hospitalizations in Omicron infections. If the generally milder clinical disease picture presented by Omicron continues and subsequent mutations all present a consistently milder clinical pictures, this might as well mark the beginning of the winding down of the present COVID-19 pandemic globally. Meanwhile both the non-pharmaceutical preventive measures and pharmaceutical ones (vaccines and drugs) should be sustained and intensified as we may not know the clinical disposition of the newer variants ahead.
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