Omicron

Why in news?

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) designated SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1529 (named as Omicron) as a ‘variant of concern’.

About Omicron Variant:

• This variant was first detected in Botswana region of South Africa on November 24, 2021.
• This variant has large number of mutations. Some of the mutations are concerning.
• Preliminary evidence shows that, there is an increased risk of reinfection with the detection of this variant, as compared to other Variants of concerns.
• This variant can be detected using SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics, as of now.
• It has a ‘very unusual constellation of mutations’, that is, 32 in the spike protein alone. It can even infect fully vaccinated people.

WHO classification of Covid-19 variants

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PRELIMS QUESTION

‘Omicron’, recently seen in news is associated with:

(a) Space exploration

(b) Covid 19 pandemic

(c) Extinct species

(d) Spyware

Answer