Omicron, a new COVID variant and labeled as the “variant of concerns” by the WHO, began spreading rapidly in the United States not more than 3 weeks ago. It was first reported in South Africa, and scientists are still unsure of where it came from. Although some roots of this new variant have been claimed from Hong kong.
Need Booster Shots For Safeguard Lives If Vaccines Are Ineffective
Now as per the latest reports, the Omicron cases have been reported in nearly 77 countries worldwide, including the majority of states in the United States. In The US, around 25 States have detected at least a single case of this new strain.
According to federal data, the Omicron variant accounts for an estimated 3% of Covid-19 cases in the United States. Regional estimates range from less than 1% of cases in some areas to more than 15% of cases in the region that including New York and New Jersey.
It’s also possible that by the end of December, Omicron will be the dominant variant but experts state that the delta variant will remain the most lethal strain in the United States. The US is also experiencing a rapid increase in hospitalizations in certain parts of the country due to the delta subtype and as per the statistics, 99.9 percent of the cases are from the delta variant in the country.
On the one hand, Omicron has shown mild changes in the bodies of patients and it carries 50 mutants and making it more transmissible among people.
Health experts are emphasizing the importance of taking proper precautions and receiving booster shots in order to prevent the viruses from spreading to a greater extent. Booster shots, according to medical authorities like CDC, can protect against the severe effects of the Omicron variant and some professionals asked the government to make the booster shot fully vaccinated.
The US CDC predicts that the next wave of COVID will arrive in January due to rising cold temperatures and gatherings during the Christmas celebrations, causing further concern among hospitals.
Initially, Omicron cases in the United States were reported in fully vaccinated people who had mild symptoms. Only one person was hospitalized, and no death cases have been reported in any state.
According to a recent study, vaccinations cannot provide protection without booster shots. All three vaccines currently available in the United States have proven ineffective in combating the Omicron variant.
The study discovered that antibody neutralization for the Omicron variant of COVID was nearly zero across all vaccine samples, whereas samples with booster shots had higher antibody neutralization for the Omicron variant.
As Christmas approaches, more people are expected to become infected due to increased movement. The protection guidelines may be effective in combating the virus and halting its spread. The Federal Government has been urging all eligible adults to receive the booster shots as soon as possible and it has been stated that a single dose of booster shot offers 25 fold immunity power.
