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Omicron strain may trigger new wave of pandemic, expert thinks

It is spreading faster than the Delta strain and is more contagious, virologist Yevgeny Timakov notes

MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. The new Omicron coronavirus strain identified in South Africa is capable of sparking a new rise in COVID-19 cases since it spreads faster and infects those who have already had the disease, virologist Yevgeny Timakov told TASS.

"With those vaccination rates in many countries, with that absence of the immune layer of the population and of herd immunity, considering that the Omicron strain also infects those who had the disease before, accordingly, the risks that there will be a repeated rise in incidence related to it are very high," he said.

The expert noted that the new strain is spreading faster than the Delta strain and is more contagious. "The Delta strain needed two months, [Omicron] needed two weeks," the doctor said.

According to him, it will be possible to analyze whether the course of the disease caused by the Omicron strain is more severe in at least two weeks when additional data on those infected appears.

The virologist added that a mild course of the disease was observed in those infected with the new strain of the coronavirus.

Omicron coronavirus strain

The new variant of the coronavirus was identified last week in South Africa. Subsequently, the cases of infection with it were detected in many countries, including several EU ones. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the B.1.1.529 variant as a "Variant of Concern" and assigned it the Greek letter Omicron.

In its statement, the WHO noted that "this variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning." Several changes at once in the spike protein can potentially hinder the neutralization of the pathogen by antibodies which may impact the effectiveness of vaccines. Additionally, according to preliminary reports, this mutation is much more transmissible.

Later, the WHO said that the Omicron version can lead to the outbreaks of the disease with the most serious consequences. As a precautionary measure, a number of countries have suspended air service with southern African countries.