| New © Reuters=News1 © News1 Correspondent Choi Jong-il |
As mankind counterattacked with vaccines against COVID-19 and sought daily recovery, the virus once again adapted to the environment and evolved into a mutation called ‘Omicron’ to counterattack.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments on the 29th, the countries with confirmed cases of Omicron, a new mutation of Corona 19, have been confirmed so far: South Africa, Hong Kong, Belgium, Czech Republic, Austria, Israel, and the United Kingdom, including Botswana, which was designated as the source. · Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Portugal are all 15 countries.
On the 25th, Omicron began to attract the attention of the global media in earnest. The first person to report this mutation to the WHO was Dr. Angelique Kuche of South Africa, which the WHO designated as a ‘caution’ mutation immediately after an emergency meeting.
The problem is that the diffusion rate of microns is too fast. As soon as concerns about Omicron began, cases of infection were discovered in Europe and North America just three days after the outbreak, demonstrating the power of transmission.
◇Omicron’s landing in Korea is a natural procedure… Need a quick investigation
In order to counter the spread of Omicron, it is necessary to look back on previous cases. The ‘Delta’ mutation has been the most violent among the COVID-19 mutant viruses so far. The delta mutation swept the world by being 60% more contagious than the alpha mutant virus first discovered in the UK.
The delta mutation even partially reduced the effectiveness of the vaccine and changed the standard of quarantine. Even today, virtually 100% of those infected with COVID-19 are infected with the delta mutation, making it the dominant species in the world.
In the case of Korea, the speed of the delta mutation was slower than other countries due to the implementation of strong quarantine rules and reinforcement of quarantine measures at entry. A group infection from a foreign lecturer broke out in Itaewon, Seoul, and the epidemic quickly took place, but it succeeded in slowing it down as much as possible.
However, what did not change despite these efforts was that the delta mutation eventually became the dominant species rather than the dominant species. In the sense that the epidemic can be delayed, but not completely, it seems that Omicron will have no choice but to land in Korea as well as the world.
So the key is how much time you can earn. Even when the delta mutation was prevalent, Korea had time to vaccinate while minimizing the epidemic through social distancing.
It is expected that the same work will be required this time as well. Even with some restrictions on daily life, it is necessary to strengthen quarantine again and study Omicron and vaccines that match it.
All viruses, not just omicrons, do not change on their own. After being infected by humans, it continues to mutate, survive and adapt. The reason for the delta mutation is that an unimaginable number of people have been infected in India.
In other words, experts emphasize that it is important to complete the vaccination quickly while suppressing the infected as much as possible and to research another vaccine that can block Omicron.
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| On the morning of the 29th, when the Omicron mutation, which is more contagious than the delta-type (India) mutation, appeared in 13 countries, passengers using a flight from Frankfurt and Khabarovsk through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the morning of the 29th appear red on the thermal imaging camera. . Thermal imaging cameras show blue at low temperatures and red at high temperatures. (Thermal imaging camera shot) 2021.11.29/News1 © News1 Reporter Taehyung Cho |
◇To buy time… Inevitability of strengthening entry quarantine
In the case of Korea, it is impossible to lock the border right away because Omicron is spreading from the position of switching the quarantine system to a ‘step-by-step recovery of daily life’ (with Corona).
The economic aspect must also be considered. In the case of Korea, which is an export-dependent economy, if the border is closed, it will inevitably suffer a severe economic blow, not because of COVID-19. Even considering the airline industry, which is recently re-stretching after overcoming difficulties, it is difficult to blockade blindly.
However, it is clearly necessary to strengthen entry monitoring. Europe has already blocked all flights from South Africa, and some Asian countries, such as Singapore, have also banned entry and transit for those departing from dangerous countries.
Korea has already held an emergency overseas inflow situation assessment meeting and decided to block all foreigners from entering the country from 00:00 on the 28th, including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi. did.
In addition, there are voices that some entry protocols such as self-quarantine should be restarted for foreigners entering from countries where Omicron is not prevalent. This means that strengthened protocols such as a policy not to apply quarantine exemptions even for those who have completed vaccinations are needed. In addition, there are voices that all inbound travelers who have been confirmed to be confirmed should undergo genomic testing.
Baek Soon-young, professor emeritus at the Catholic University of Korea, said, “It seems that strong measures such as analyzing the nucleotide sequences of those who have entered overseas or imported from overseas are necessary.” “He said.
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| Tom Bencelis Twitter capture © News1 |
◇ It may fade away like the ‘mu’ mutation… It is necessary to observe basic quarantine rather than excessive fear
Although further investigation is still needed, most experts agree that the ohmic mutation has a stronger propagation power than the delta mutation.
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.
In a graph posted on Twitter by Belgian biologist Tom Benselis, it can be seen that Omicron is quickly becoming the dominant species in South Africa over the delta mutation.
Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital also said, “The more mutations occur in the spike protein, the more likely it is that existing vaccines and antibody treatments will not be effective.”
However, considering that most of the patients infected with the Omicron mutation showed only mild symptoms, there are also analyzes that even if they become infected, the fatality rate will not be high. Because of this, experts point out that those who have been vaccinated may develop relatively mild symptoms.
Dr. Kuche, who was the first to report Omicron, said in an interview with a British daily newspaper on the 27th (local time), “The symptoms of patients infected with Omicron are relatively mild.”
So far, the only real threat among mutated viruses has been the delta mutation. Like the ‘mu’ mutation and the ‘lambda’ mutation, it was designated as a mutation of interest and was engulfed in another sense of fear, but it did not easily fade or survive for a long time due to various environmental factors. This is because a mutant virus does not necessarily have high viability or lethality.
Therefore, it is pointed out that the method against Omicron is not much different from the existing ones. The European Agency for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized, “We must conduct more thorough epidemiological investigations on infected persons and continue to strive to increase vaccination rates.” This is not very different from the ‘3T’ (Test-Trace-Treat) quarantine that Korea has been doing so far.
This means that if the number of unvaccinated people is reduced, and basic quarantine measures such as wearing a mask, refraining from moving, and promptly receiving additional vaccinations are adhered to, the increase in the fatality rate and the number of seriously ill patients can be prevented.
Deok-cheol Kwon, the 1st deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare) said, “It is a time when the public’s interest and participation is most desperately needed. Please show the power of active participation that you have given me once again for booster vaccinations.”
sanghwi@news1.kr
