| Overseas entrants are moving at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the 28th. 2021.11.28/News 1 © News1 Reporter Lee Seong-cheol |
Korea’s new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the number of severe cases and deaths is at a new record high, and there is concern that the Omicron mutation may aggravate the epidemic.
Infectious disease experts warn that “omicron mutation can replace delta mutation.” He also advised that in order to prevent the spread of new mutations, it is necessary to increase immunity by getting a vaccine and to block close contact between individuals by strengthening social distancing.
◇ Domestic and foreign experts “Existing vaccines, there is a possibility that antibodies will not work”… Twice the mutation than delta
Omicron mutation is presumed to be the main cause of the surge in the number of confirmed cases in Gauteng, southern South Africa. Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to the UK’s Health and Safety Agency (HSA), told the BBC in a recent interview with the BBC, “The mutant basic reproductive index (R) value is 1.93. It is the most worrisome virus that has ever appeared.” The R value is an indicator of how many people can be infected by one confirmed person.
Above all, experts are concerned that the omicron mutation has much stronger transmission than the delta mutation, and the vaccine effectiveness will decrease. This is because the more mutations there are, the greater the possibility that a vaccine made based on the existing COVID-19 virus spike protein will fail.
Omicron mutations are known to result in more than 50 mutations in genes, of which 32 are concentrated in the spike protein that binds to the cell when the virus invades the cell. It is far more dangerous than the delta mutation, which has 16 mutations in the spike protein.
Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, “The more mutations occur in the spike protein, the more likely existing vaccines and antibody therapies will not be effective. As a result of the outbreak, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines became less effective.”
He continued, “If the effectiveness of the vaccine is too low, there may be a situation where it is necessary to re-create vaccines and therapeutics based on the Omicron mutant. will be,” he said.
In the gene amplification (PCR) test, no micron mutation was detected in the diagnostic test targeting the spike protein gene. The WHO also said: “Evidence available to date suggests an increased risk of reinfection with the variant compared to other variants of concern.”
◇ Doctor who first reported Omicron “Symptoms of extreme fatigue”… Half of those infected are unvaccinated
In an interview with a British daily newspaper on the 27th (local time), Dr. Angelic Kush (Chairman of the South African Medical Association), who was the first to report a patient infected with the Omicron mutation to the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, said, “Patient infected with Omicron. It’s relatively minor,” he said. He said on the 18th that all four family members who were diagnosed with Corona 19 showed a common symptom of ‘extreme fatigue’, and reported it to the quarantine authorities.
“Most of the young patients felt extremely tired. The infected 6-year-old child suddenly had a high heart rate and a fever,” he said. “The symptoms improved two days after treatment. No taste or smell. didn’t,” he added.
“Half of the 20 patients infected with Omicron were not vaccinated,” he warned. “Especially for patients with diabetes and heart disease, the new variant is more lethal,” he said.
Professor Kim Woo-joo also explained, “The Corona 19 virus is the ‘Janus’ virus. Even if a healthy adult is infected with Corona 19, it can pass without getting seriously ill, but the elderly and the underlying disease are very fatal.” “We need to get a booster vaccination and minimize exposure to the virus to prevent it from spreading as a pandemic,” he said.
On the 26th, the World Health Organization (WHO) named the new mutation (B.1.1.529) from Africa as ‘Omicron’ and designated it as a ‘VOC of concern’. WHO has designated and managed COVID-19 mutations as mutations of interest and mutations of concern.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) also held a risk assessment and response plan meeting with relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy on the 27th to discuss Omicron countermeasures. Accordingly, foreigners who have come or transited through eight countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi, are not allowed to enter Korea.
rnkim@news1.kr
