Twenty-five US states have reported circumstances of COVID-19 brought on by the omicron variant, US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky reported Friday on the White Home COVID-19 Response briefing. Nevertheless, the delta variant stays the dominant variant within the US, accountable for over 99% of COVID-19 circumstances (that are up 37% from final week), hospitalizations (up 16%) and deaths (28% improve from earlier week). 

With a virus as contagious because the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, any new variants which are even extra transmissible than the unique can cloud the trail to restoration from a worldwide pandemic. The delta variant, which scientists imagine is at the least twice as contagious as earlier strains, grew to become the dominant US variant in July 2021 and rapidly resulted in a spike of COVID-19 circumstances and hospitalizations. The overwhelming majority of deaths and hospitalizations have been in people who find themselves unvaccinated — in response to CDC knowledge, unvaccinated individuals have been 14 occasions extra more likely to die from COVID-19 in September in contrast with totally vaccinated individuals. 

After scientists in South Africa recognized omicron, the World Well being Group labeled the brand new variant a “variant of concern,” like delta, and researchers across the globe began the race to reply the questions: How efficient are the vaccines and previous COVID-19 infections in opposition to omicron? How does it evaluate to delta? Additionally in response, President Joe Biden issued a journey ban on eight international locations in southern Africa the place omicron is circulating. Omicron has been detected in many international locations around the globe, together with the US. 

Proper now, scientists assume that omicron is more likely to be at the least as contagious as delta and that the extent of contagiousness will pressure well being care methods if left unchecked. However they’re additionally assured vaccines will proceed to be protecting in opposition to extreme illness, and the identical public well being measures we have been utilizing to curb COVID-19 the final two years may even be efficient in opposition to omicron. They’ve additionally strengthened the advice for booster doses, together with for individuals as younger as age 16. 

An early have a look at 43 US COVID-19 circumstances brought on by the omicron variant, revealed within the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, presents a glimpse into how omicron will proceed to unfold within the nation. Of the 43 documented omicron circumstances within the report, signs have been largely delicate, and just one individual was hospitalized for 2 days. Eighty p.c of individuals have been totally vaccinated, and 14% of individuals had COVID-19 beforehand. No deaths have been reported. 

As scientists proceed to gather info on omicron, this is the way it compares with delta up to now. 

Is omicron worse than delta (or vice versa)?

It is too early to inform for positive, however early indicators of the severity of omicron are “encouraging,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, instructed CNN — that’s, there aren’t security indicators proper now that present omicron results in extra extreme COVID-19. When it comes to how contagious the 2 variants are: “Clearly, in South Africa, omicron has a transmission benefit,” Fauci stated, noting that we have to be “cautious” about drawing too many conclusions earlier than there’s extra knowledge, which could take a pair weeks. 

On the press briefing Tuesday, Fauci once more confused that knowledge obtainable now from South Africa does recommend that omicron has a “excessive diploma of transmissibility,” however that scientists want extra time to find out precisely how infectious it’s in contrast with different variants, and whether or not it causes much less or extra extreme an infection than different variants. Information on COVID-19 hospitalizations in South Africa is encouraging, but in addition inconclusive due to the actual fact many individuals being affected by omicron are youthful people, Fauci stated.

Omicron has some related mutations in its spike protein to the delta variant, in response to the Republic of South Africa’s Division of Well being, in addition to the alpha, gamma and beta variants — all categorised as variants of concern by the WHO. This implies omicron may even be very transmissible, probably enabling the virus to extra simply get round somebody’s antibodies, decreasing the vaccine’s efficacy in opposition to symptomatic illness (as within the delta variant’s case, scientists count on the vaccines to stay protecting in opposition to extreme COVID-19). Scientists from South Africa additionally imagine omicron might result in extra circumstances of reinfection in individuals who’ve already had COVID-19. 

Omicron has extra mutations on its spike protein than the delta variant does, however whether or not meaning something stays to be seen.

“What all these adjustments within the combination are going to do for the issues that matter for this virus, we do not actually know but,” Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane College, instructed CNN.

Learn extra: Omicron variant FAQ: 7 issues to know concerning the new COVID pressure in the present day

What’s a mutation or variant? 

The coronavirus enters our cells utilizing its “corona,” or layer of protein spikes, then makes copies of itself in our our bodies, the place inevitably there are some errors or mutations, as defined by Yale Drugs. Typically these mutations within the virus are innocent, however different occasions — like within the case of the delta and omicron variants — they make it a lot simpler for the virus to unfold from individual to individual and infect extra individuals. 

The extra people who find themselves unvaccinated or with out immunity from COVID-19, the extra alternatives there are for the coronavirus to unfold and kind regarding variants. 

“I believe what you are seeing is simply the manifestation of what we have been speaking about,” Fauci instructed NBC in November. “Why it’s so essential for individuals to get vaccinated, and for many who are totally vaccinated to get boosted.”

Other than vaccine hesitancy, many individuals in international locations exterior the US haven’t got entry to a COVID-19 vaccine. In keeping with Our World in Information, 7.1% of individuals in low-income international locations have obtained a dose of coronavirus vaccine. 

“The emergence of the omicron variant ought to be a wake-up name to the world that vaccine inequality can’t be allowed to proceed,” South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, stated in an tackle. 

On the briefing Tuesday, White Home COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients introduced that the US has shipped 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses out for donation — a milestone, he stated, within the White Home pledge to donate 1.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to different international locations. 

Learn extra: How to decide on a booster: What to find out about mixing vaccines

What are the signs of omicron vs. delta?

Thus far, individuals who have come down with COVID-19 from the omicron variant within the US have had largely delicate signs, which is “what we might count on,” Walensky stated at a press briefing Friday, “in a gaggle of totally vaccinated people.” In a Dec. 10 MMWR report, the main points of 43 omicron circumstances are listed. Within the report on their signs, most individuals (89%) reported a cough, 65% have been fatigued and 59% of them have been congested or had a runny nostril. Solely 8% of the 43 individuals reported shedding their sense of scent or style, which has affected many individuals with earlier COVID-19 infections. 

Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a South African physician who helped uncover omicron, instructed the BBC that up to now sufferers she’s seen with the omicron variant have “extraordinarily delicate circumstances” of COVID-19. These signs included fatigue, headache and a scratchy throat, she stated, not the telltale lack of scent or a cough related to earlier COVID-19 infections. 

Nevertheless, the delta variant might have barely modified the way in which COVID-19 presents. Cough and lack of scent are additionally much less frequent signs of COVID-19 brought on by the delta variant in contrast with earlier variants, per the Baton Rouge Normal, a Mayo Clinic community. Chilly signs like a headache and runny nostril at the moment are extra frequent signs of COVID-19, in response to the UK’s ZOE COVID Examine.

Normally, it is too early to make a declare that omicron has milder or extra extreme signs than delta. Though anecdotal proof exhibits that confirmed circumstances brought on by omicron have proven delicate signs, most of these individuals have been youthful adults, in response to South Africa’s well being division. Solely 9% of the 43 individuals documented by the CDC have been age 65 or older. Youthful adults and youngsters are usually much less more likely to expertise extreme COVID-19 than older adults. 

How do you take a look at for omicron? 

A COVID-19 take a look at will not inform you which variant you have got. To ensure that scientists to find out whether or not it is omicron or one other coronavirus variant, the CDC makes use of genomic sequencing. In keeping with Walensky, the CDC director, the US is now testing 80,000 constructive COVID-19 samples per week (about one in seven constructive assessments), up from 8,000 per week earlier this 12 months.

Happily, the omicron variant is simply detected by PCR assessments, in response to Fauci, which might then be confirmed by labs that use genomic sequencing. 

Learn extra: Free COVID at-home take a look at kits: Here is how and whenever you’ll get yours

The knowledge contained on this article is for instructional and informational functions solely and isn’t meant as well being or medical recommendation. All the time seek the advice of a doctor or different certified well being supplier concerning any questions you will have a few medical situation or well being goals.