The New Entrant and the Third Wave: Omicron - (E)

On 26 November 2021, the World Health Organisation designated Omicron or B.1.1.529 a variant of concern on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution also called TAG-VE. This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Within two months of its discovery in Botswana in Africa, Omicron has spread across the globe with a pace and severity that was unexpected given large populations are now vaccinated. Omicron has stretched health care systems and has caused severe economic and social disruptions in most countries of the world. In this episode of Science for a Self Reliant India we take a closer look at the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, which is the main culprit for the current third wave. We try to answer some crucial questions like - How many mutations has this new variant acquired? How dangerous is it? How fast is it spreading? What are the necessary precautions one should take to protect ourselves and our families? This and much more on this episode of Science for a Self Reliant India - only on India Science.

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