Omicron; A new variant of coronavirus
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday, November 26, 2021, a new strain of SARS-CoV-2. According to the WHO, this new coronavirus variant (B.1.1.529) was first isolated from a sample collected in South Africa on November 9, 2021, and reported to the WHO for the first time. This new strain is described as a “Variant of Concern “(VOC), which have been named ‘Nu’ earlier but to avoid confusion with the word “new” it called Omicron “Omicron is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet,” and this organization requested the countries around the world to enhance the monitoring and efforts to identify this new variant.
South Africa has seen a sharp rise in the number of CoVID-19 in recent weeks, with the emergence of a mutation in the causative agent of CoVID-19. “This species has a number of mutations, some of which are concerning,” the World Health Organization said.
While little is known about this species at present, it is said that this variant is characterized by 30 changes, including three small deletions and one small insertion in the S protein. These are 15 mutations in the virus cell receptor-binding site that may lead to the escape of the omicron virus from the immune system. This indicates an increased risk of re-infection with this species compared to other known VOCs, and the incidence of this new coronavirus is expected to increase.
Payvand clinical and specialty Laboratory can identify specific sites in the coronavirus viral genome by using a verified molecular diagnostic kit (PCR). The viral gene sites that are present in mutated variants of the coronavirus; such as Omicron, Alpha, or Delta, and remain unchanged to allow screening of a variety of coronavirus strains. Therefore, there is no need to worry about diagnosing CoVID 19 disease with molecular diagnostic kits (PCR) used in Payvand laboratory. However, it should be noted that determining the type of variant has a research aspect and its application to detect the different variants is in screening, control, and follow-up planning.
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