POSSIBLE 4TH WAVE-NEW OMICRON VARIANT
Concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic increased, after the emergence of a highly contagious sub-variant of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, known as BA.2.
BA.2 is about 60% more transmissible than Omicron but does not seem to be severe.
DETAILS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE VARIANT:
• The BA.2 variant has the same severity as the original omicron strain, according to World Health Organization(WHO).
• WHO emphasized that BA.2 should be monitored as a sub-lineage of Omicron.
• Studies show that the reinfection with BA.2 following infection with BA.1 provides strong protection against reinfection with BA.2.
• It is difficult to detect BA.2 variant, which misses the key mutations in spike protein, that are necessary for rapid PCR tests.
• BA.2 variant affects the upper respiratory tract like DELTA, eliminating the symptoms like loss of taste n smell.
• Symptoms like dizziness, extreme fatigue, fever, coughing, sore throat, cold, muscular fatigue, and elevated heart rate are observed.
REINFECTION:
A recent study shows that previous infection with BA.1 sub-lineage provides strong protection against BA.2.
It is also that, if BA.2 arrives in a community late, when the BA.1 Omicron wave is nearly over, immunity by omicron infection or by boosting keeps BA.2 away.
BA.2 is about 60% more transmissible than Omicron but does not seem to be severe.
DETAILS AND SYMPTOMS OF THE VARIANT:
• The BA.2 variant has the same severity as the original omicron strain, according to World Health Organization(WHO).
• WHO emphasized that BA.2 should be monitored as a sub-lineage of Omicron.
• Studies show that the reinfection with BA.2 following infection with BA.1 provides strong protection against reinfection with BA.2.
• It is difficult to detect BA.2 variant, which misses the key mutations in spike protein, that are necessary for rapid PCR tests.
• BA.2 variant affects the upper respiratory tract like DELTA, eliminating the symptoms like loss of taste n smell.
• Symptoms like dizziness, extreme fatigue, fever, coughing, sore throat, cold, muscular fatigue, and elevated heart rate are observed.
REINFECTION:
A recent study shows that previous infection with BA.1 sub-lineage provides strong protection against BA.2.
It is also that, if BA.2 arrives in a community late, when the BA.1 Omicron wave is nearly over, immunity by omicron infection or by boosting keeps BA.2 away.
PAXLOVID:
The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended Pfizer Inc’s Covid-19 pill PAXLOVID, a combination of medicines nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, for unvaccinated/older/immunosuppressive patients. The antiviral medicine remdesivir is recommended for high-risk patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended Pfizer Inc’s Covid-19 pill PAXLOVID, a combination of medicines nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, for unvaccinated/older/immunosuppressive patients. The antiviral medicine remdesivir is recommended for high-risk patients.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Paxlovid may prevent more hospitalizations than its alternatives.
• Paxlovid has fewer potential harms than the antiviral drug, Molnupiravir.
• It shows trivial benefits for the low-risk population.
• It is easy to administer than intravenous remdesivir and antibody treatments.
• Fewer hospitalizations were observed in patients who took nirmatrelvir / ritonavir.
• Molnupiravir for high-risk patients with non-severe COVID-19 and monoclonal antibody treatments is recommended.
• Sotrovimab or casirivimab, and imdevimab are used in selected patients.
Access to these drugs is tied to the access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests, especially for those targeting the early phase of the disease. These living guidelines were developed to provide trustworthy guidance on the management of COVID-19 and help doctors to make better decisions.
The use of convalescent plasma, ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine is the popular choice of treatment in the early stages of the pandemic.
Scaling up of antivirals may result in 80-90% fewer deaths from future variants more severe than omicron. So making / sharing antivirals to make sure that they are available to everyone is necessary.
