"Stronger than Delta"... Global Alert as New Variant 'Omicron' Emerges

Electron microscope image of the novel coronavirus
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The World Health Organization (WHO) has named a new COVID-19 variant reported in southern Africa "Omicron" and classified it as a variant of concern.

According to foreign media on the 26th (local time), the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) under the South African Department of Health confirmed this new COVID-19 variant on the 23rd. This was the result of analyzing samples collected from patients between the 14th and 16th of last month.

South African health authorities conducted additional genetic sequencing analysis, then reported the findings to their government and requested the WHO to convene a technical working group on this variant on the 26th.

The WHO accepted this request, held a meeting on the same day, officially named the variant "Omicron," the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, and classified it as a variant of concern.

A variant of concern is applied when the variant virus shows increased transmissibility or severity, and resistance to current treatments and vaccines is enhanced, while initial investigations are ongoing. The Delta variant, first identified in India and currently dominant, is also a variant of concern.

In South Africa, over 100 cases of the variant have been confirmed in Gauteng Province, which includes major cities such as Pretoria.

Omicron is identified to have 32 genetic mutations in the spike protein. This is about twice the number found in the Delta variant, and foreign media explained that it is significantly different from the original coronavirus for which current vaccines were designed to respond.

The virus uses the spike protein to penetrate host cells, and mutations in this protein can alter transmissibility and affect vaccine efficacy.

The WHO stated that this variant has a large number of mutations and explained, "Preliminary evidence suggests that this variant may increase the risk of reinfection compared to other variants."

Meanwhile, due to concerns over the spread of Omicron, countries are hastily closing their borders. The UK, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Israel, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and others have announced measures such as suspending flights from southern Africa or banning entry except for their own nationals.