What We Know so far About the Omicron Variant of COVID-19

In early November, scientists in South Africa announced the troubling news that they had discovered a concerning new variant of COVID-19 that they dubbed the “Omicron variant”. Upon further investigation, the Omicron variant was listed as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization due to the potential for its mutations to make the disease more infectious and more difficult to combat with our current vaccines. While there is still much research to be done, we’ve learned quite a lot already about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. In this article, we’ll discuss everything we know so far about this new variant and how you can keep yourself protected against the threat that the Omicron variant presents.

What is the Omicron Variant?

Like other variants of COVID-19, it is thought that the Omicron variant developed inside of a single patient who was initially infected with the standard SARS-Cov-2 virus. While the exact origins of the Omicron variant is a topic that is still being debated in the scientific community, the leading theory is that the variant emerged from an immunocompromised patient such as a patient with HIV. Those with weakened immune systems often end up as reservoirs for virus mutations since their bodies are not able to quickly fight off the virus and thus provide an opportunity for the virus to replicate and mutate over an extended period of time. The result, in the case of the Omicron variant, is a new, mutated strand of SARS-Cov-2 now spreading from patient to patient that exhibits a number of concerning characteristics.

How the Omicron Variant Differs From Other Variants of COVID-19

The most concerning feature of the Omicron variant is the fact that it seems to be more transmissible than its ancestral strain. With that said, though, it does not appear so far that the Omicron variant is more transmissible than the Delta variant of COVID-19 – another variant that popped up in early 2021 and caused widespread concern due to its higher transmissibility.

So far, no variant of COVID-19 has mutated to become more lethal than the ancestral strain, and transmissibility seems to be the only meaningful quality of the virus that is impacted when it mutates. In fact, it is currently thought that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 actually leads to milder symptoms than other variants. Right now, 90% of those hospitalized with the Omicron variant are unvaccinated. This statistic demonstrates that our current vaccines do seem to protect those exposed to the Omicron variant from developing severe symptoms. Even among the unvaccinated, though, symptoms of the Omicron variant seem to be milder, with most patients describing muscle aches and fatigue as their primary symptoms.

While the CEO of Moderna sparked concern when she stated that our current vaccines were likely to be less effective against the Omicron variant, initial data such as the fact that 90% of those hospitalized with Omicron seems to suggest that our current vaccines do offer a substantial degree of protection against the Omicron variant. Currently, Moderna and other companies are actively working to create a booster shot that is designed specifically to protect against the Omicron variant.

With Omicron cases already showing up in the United States, though, we are now in a “wait and see” period in regards to how serious of an issue this new variant ultimately becomes. If you would like to ensure that you stay safe during this time when new variants continue to pop up and spread across the world, we at St. Jude Labs are able to help.

Schedule an Appointment for COVID-19 Testing With St. Jude Labs

At St. Jude Labs, we are doing our part to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and its various variants by offering state-of-the-art COVID PCR and COVID antibody testing. These tests are able to accurately detect all variants of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant, allowing you to know for certain whether or not you are currently infected with the virus or have experienced a past infection. If you would like to schedule a COVID-19 test that will provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind in light of the new Omicron variant, be sure to contact us today.