In late November, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified a new SARS-CoV-2 strain, called the Omicron variant. While more research is pending on the severity of symptoms and mode of transmission, scientists have claimed that the Omicron variant can spread three times faster than the Delta variant. Research suggests that the Omicron’s increased transmissibility is due to the virus’s ability to evade immunity of those previously infected by the COVID-19 virus or the immunocompromised. Furthermore, the Omicron virus has been reported to infect those with complete vaccination and booster shots. Regardless of the new variant’s ability to evade immunity, global health experts still advocate that the current vaccines available remain to be the best protection. In addition to vaccination, physicians from around the globe are mandating an upgrade from cloth masks to surgical masks, claiming that cloth masks do not provide adequate protection.
How did the Omicron variant emerge?
On their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a timeline on how Omicron emerged. They reported that the first Omicron variant specimen was detected on November 11, 2021, in Botswana, a country in Southern Africa. This was followed by another specimen detection on November 14, 2021, in South Africa. Moreover, on November 24, 2021, the Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization.
Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, Tulio de Oliveira, notified the World Health Organization and the director-general of health when he noticed COVID-19 cases started growing again in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. De Oliveira and his team authorized increased genomic surveillance when they discovered six genomes of a mutated virus. They collected and examined over a hundred randomly selected samples from different parts of Gauteng, and their results showed that the genomes were all the same, new variant. The genome of the Omicron virus is said to have 53 mutations compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, with 30 mutations in its outer spike proteins, known as its S-gene, which is believed to be the part that attaches to human cells.
Typically, a virus mutating depends on how often it circulates or infects people. Yale immunobiologist and COVID-19 researcher Akiko Iwasaki states that mutation happens when an error occurs in how viruses replicate their genomes. With the contagiousness of the coronavirus, the random errors that have occurred are likely what makes the variants transmissible. In the subject of vaccination, Iwasaki further delineates that those mutations are likely to be the reason why vaccines have decreased their effectiveness. Regardless of variants infecting individuals who are already vaccinated or have received booster shots, Iwasaki states that the mRNA in the vaccines can accommodate some mutations of the virus by creating more than one antibody.
Should We Expect More Variants to Occur?
Since the rise of two SARS-CoV-2 variants, people’s biggest concern is whether we will see more variants in the future. Kevin Harrod, a Ph.D. professor who has been studying the coronaviruses outbreaks since the original SARS virus, claims that there should be an expected limit as to how much SARS-CoV-2 can mutate. This is entirely due to the limited genetic variation that a virus genome can produce. Harrod reports that a virus can continue to mutate; however, its ability to transmit becomes weaker with each mutation and may even lead to the point where the mutated virus renders no benefit for itself to thrive. As government health officials continue to advocate for vaccination, Harrod states that we can expect the virus to continue to mutate until we have at least reached herd immunity.
Where has the Omicron virus spread?
The World Health Organization states that the Omicron virus has been detected in over 80 countries. Since its first report in South Africa back in November, the Omicron virus is reported to have only taken three weeks to dominate the country, where cases rose from 300 to 3,00 a day. On December 1, the state of California in the U.S. received its first case of the Omicron, and since then, the virus has been detected in all 50 states. In addition, recent cases of the Omicron virus have also been found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Scotland.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided an analytic approach to model the degree of transmissibility of the Omicron virus. They estimated that the Omicron virus may exceed previous growth peaks compared to the Delta variant, where a surge of rates can be seen as soon as January 2022. In the case of low immune evasion, the rate may occur as late as April 2022.
Are the vaccines working against the Omicron virus?
The Omicron virus has been reported to infect individuals who have been previously vaccinated. For instance, the first person in the U.S. who was infected with the Omicron virus was fully vaccinated, and the second person who was infected had a booster shot. Preliminary laboratory data research shows that Omicron’s potential to evade immunity from vaccination could be caused by its ability to neutralize antibodies, rendering less efficacy from the vaccine. Furthermore, scientists have suggested that the Omicron’s genetic mutations could have also caused a “breakthrough infection,” even to individuals who have been fully vaccinated. For that reason, booster shots are strongly recommended to restore any lost antibodies.
Scientists worldwide are still studying the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, primarily because mutations can work around antibodies. Healthcare administrators from South Africa released an analysis claiming that two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided 70% protection against hospital-acquired infection of the Omicron variant. In contrast, the same amount and type of vaccine provided 90% protection against hospital-acquired infection of the Delta variant.
Ultimately, while vaccination does not guarantee complete safety against the Omicron virus and more research still needs to be developed, getting vaccinated will continue to provide safety measures against the coronavirus and its variants. Regardless, professionals are making great efforts to create a new Omicron-specific vaccine.
Are Government & Health Officials Pushing an Update on Masking Guidelines?
At the beginning of the pandemic, many health professionals advocated that surgical or respiratory masks should be reserved for front-line workers since they were facing a shortage. Now, however, a shift in this stance has occurred. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise because of the Omicron variant, it leaves medical experts wondering whether upgrading from cloth to surgical masks should be mandated.
An industrial hygienist at the University of Toronto, Marianne Levitsky, states that we should not have to worry about that dilemma anymore, as numerous manufacturers are creating more medical masks, guaranteeing a wide availability for people. Furthermore, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, Colin Furness, also wants to encourage the health authorities to begin incorporating N95 respirators in public settings, stressing that extensive research shows that COVID-19 is airborne.
In the same topic, infectious disease expert, Steven Gordon, delineates that although “additional precautions” should be implemented due to the infectiousness of the Omicron virus, the CDC states that N95 masks should remain reserved for front liners. Since no current data shows the significance of N95 masks against COVID-19 transmissions, experts continue to debate whether new mask regulations should be mandated.
What are the differences between cloth & medical masks?
The most significant difference between cloth and medical masks is their filtration ability. While cloth masks are better than no mask, they do not provide as much filtration against airborne particles. This is because the materials that most cloth masks are made of, often cotton, do not prevent the inhalation of particles from the virus, resulting in only around 75% infiltration rate. In comparison, surgical masks, N95, and KN95 have a filter that prevents around 95% of airborne particles from being inhaled. In a CNN Article, Erin Bromage, an associate biology professor, explained the effectiveness of filtration by stating, “If you needed 1,000 viral particles to infect you and you are wearing something that cuts 50% of things down, it is now going to take twice as long to get to that 1,000. If you’re wearing one that is 90% efficient, it’s going to take at least 10 times as long before you get infected when you’re around somebody who is infected.”
Further iterating how infection from others can occur, a statement from the Chief Public Health Officer from the Public Health Agency of Canada compares COVID-19 to secondhand smoking. They stated that like secondhand smoke, the viral particles from SARS-CoV-2 can linger and suspend in the air. This will inevitably make it easier for the virus to infect people in close proximity or poorly ventilated areas. For that reason, the Public Health Agency of Canada recommends keeping rooms well ventilated or that we wear a well-fitting mask.
How can we mask adequately that protects ourselves & others?
Regardless of the type of mask we wear, the biggest components to consider with masks should be their fit, filtration, and breathability. Typically, N95 and KN95 provide the best seal around the face and nose, leaving no room for air to enter. An infectious disease physician at Stanford University, Dr. Abraar Karan, reports that respirator masks are made of materials that have an electrostatic charge, which “pulls particles in as they’re floating around and prevents you from inhaling those particles.” Although respirator masks have the best filtration, the main asset that they should have is approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). This is because a rising number of counterfeit filtration masks are being produced, or filtration masks are approved by different countries, such as China for the KN95 and Korea for the KF94. If you buy a respirator mask, ensure it qualifies under the NIOSH standards.
Since the CDC continues to reserve respiratory masks for healthcare workers during the rise of the Omicron virus, they have instead recommended that wearing a disposable mask underneath a cloth mask will be beneficial. This will not only allow the mask to fit better, but it will also add an extra layer of filtration, as opposed to wearing a single layer mask. The CDC also provided guidelines on wearing, storing, and cleaning masks.
Emergency physician and CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen states that the CDC was making a mistake in not allowing N95 for public use, claiming that the least recommendation should be to mandate the most effective masks. Similarly, Dr. Peter Juni, the head of Ontario’s Science Advisory Table also claims that cloth masks bring minimal filtration and thus are not enough protection. Juni encourages that even the simple act of doubling the layers of the cloth mask can be helpful as it provides more thread count, which then creates a better filter.
It is evident that health experts have yet to reach a verdict on changing masking guidelines during the rise of the Omicron variant. Many healthcare professionals are pushing to mandate the switch from cloth masks to respiratory masks. They have exerted great efforts to research the Omicron virus and provided their findings to the public. However, healthcare organizations have still yet to determine their stance regarding the extensive research that has been accomplished. Ultimately, the final decision relies heavily on what healthcare organizations and government officials will mandate.
Conclusion
With a small amount of time, scientists have already recognized the severity of the Omicron virus compared to its predecessors. In just a span of two months, healthcare experts have covered extensive research and preliminary data that will benefit the medical and healthcare industry as the Omicron variant continues to affect the globe. Because of the increased transmissibility and rising cases from the Omicron virus, healthcare professionals are taking a stance in advocating for what they believe should be the proper way to face the new variant, which is through vaccination and proper masking. Undoubtedly, very little is still known about the Omicron virus specifically. However, with the knowledge that we have gained from healthcare experts throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we should be able to make sound choices that protect ourselves and others.