All You Should Know About Omicron

3 min readJan 10, 2022

Omicron, the latest and perhaps the most contagious covid-19 variant so far is causing worldwide panic. The stability gained after the brutality of pandemics and lockdown is threatened again. It’s always a better choice to know your enemy better. Here are the things you should know about omicron.

Place of first discovery:

Omicron was first reported in South Africa. Many countries of Africa had shown the same types of symptoms in many patients. Though it was first reported in South Africa, it is not 100% assured that it is originated from there. As we have seen many countries report the presence of omicron. It is now suspected that omicron may be circulating for a longer time than we expected.

The possible source of omicron:

Omicron has shown 60 variations from the original covid-19 found in Wuhan. There are two theories of how this variant of concern may have come originated from.

Reverse zoonosis
Application of some medicines in treatment (molnupiravir)

Reverse zoonosis:

Vovid-19 has shown the capability of affecting animals from people. It has also been proven that you might get affected by animals if they have covid-19. It is possible that in this process of reverse zoonosis many mutations in the gene of the virus are possible. This is a possible reason but it is largely agreed by scientists that it may not be the real reason.

Application of some medicines in treatment (molnupiravir):

This theory of the birth of omicron is more viable. Molnupiravir is a drug that causes changes in the gene. If not all doses are taken then there are more chances of mutation occurring. The country that first reported omicron also had patients that were on molnupiravir. This new variant may have been a mistake of our own. The virus always tries to evade our immunity system and get stringer. The more experimental drugs we use the more it can mutate. We need a valid drug that actually works on covid and doesn’t let it mutate.

Is omicron more contagious than other variants?:

Yes. Omicron is showing us that it is more contagious than other variants. The new wave of omicron has shaken the whole of Europe and many other countries. Many countries are imposing strict restrictions to fight this new wave.

Do vaccines work on omicron?:

According to WHO and another scientist, most vaccines are effective against omicron. But, it is observed that people are being affected even after being vaccinated. So vaccines may not give much protection agains omicron infections. That’s why many countries are giving booster doses to their population. But, being vaccinated can help you from becoming seriously ill.

Is omicron a mild varrient?:

There aren’t enough data to come to the conclusion if omicron is more severe or less severe.

Does omicron have less mortality rate?:

Again, there is not enough data yet for that. But, being vaccinated may have proven helpful in preventing the mortality rate of this new varient.

Nearly all countries are being hit by omicron now. We need to exercise and have a nutritious diet to boost our immunity system. Your immunity is your ultimate weapon against this omicron variant of concern.

Originally published at https://www.techolifestyle.com on January 10, 2022.