Episode Details

Worst ever Covid variant? Omicron

Uploaded 26-11-21

B.1.1.529

Increased contagion

Immune escape

Sicker people

WHO, VOC

https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern
The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution
Independent group of experts
First reported to WHO from South Africa on 24th November 2021
South Africa, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant
The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9th November 2021
Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant
The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa
Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant.
For one widely used PCR test, one of the three target genes is not detected
(called S gene dropout or S gene target failure)
This variant may have a growth advantage.

How did the new variant develop?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03552-w

Professor Francois Balloux, Computational Biology Systems, University College London

Mutated during a chronic infection of a person whose immune system was already weakened by an untreated HIV/Aids infection

Botswana

Discovered, November 11th (collected 9th) 2021 in Botswana

South Africa

77 confirmed cases

90% of new cases in Gauteng, probably B.1.1.529

Early signs of rapid spread in Gauteng province, 900 cases per day

May have spread to eight other provinces in South Africa

SA, fully vaccinated, 24%

Israel

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/new-coronavirus-variant-reason-concern-say-researchers/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-onward-journey

1 returnee from Malawi

Two other people suspected of having the variant are also in quarantine

All three were fully vaccinated

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett

We are currently on the verge of a state of emergency

Belgium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfwoROrBiVE

1 case

Came from Egypt to Belgium on November 11th

First symptoms on November 22nd

Hong Kong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm-WzJ0KR0M

Two cases, from next door in quarantine hotel

Traveller from SA

Penny Moore, virologist, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/25/what-do-we-know-about-the-new-worst-ever-covid-variant

Breakthrough infections have been reported following,

Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer-BioNtech, Oxford-AstraZeneca

R = 2 so far

SA, National Institute for Communicable Diseases

Cases, + 2,465 (nearly double yesterdays)

32 mutations in the spike protein

10 on RBD

(Delta variant has 8 mutations)

Beta (SA) variant has 3

Younger people appear to be contracting and spreading

BioNTech-Pfizer need two weeks to assess new variant's impact

Would need two weeks at most to assess how well its coronavirus vaccine works against B.1.1.529

may require an adjustment of our vaccine if the variant spreads globally

Global