These Are The Latest Scientific Facts About The Omicron Variant

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JAKARTA - It has not been two months since the Omicron variant of COVID-19 appeared, now its spread has reached almost all countries. This variant dominates the previous variants, such as Alpha, Beta, and Delta.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, explained the latest scientific facts regarding the Omicron variant. Wiku explained, Omicron is more contagious than the Delta variant.

"The reason is that the Omicron variant has a high mutation rate that affects its ability to infect the body. Preventing transmission from the individual level is the best way to prevent a spike in cases," said Wiku in a statement, Thursday, January 27.

Then, regarding the incubation period, the publication of Brandal, LT, et al., 2021 and the CDC release stated that the average incubation period of the Omicron variant tends to be shorter than the previous variant.

A limited study in Norway and a technical briefing release from the UK stated that the symptoms suffered by Omicron patients were allegedly milder, especially in people who already had immunity.

Treatment rates for Omicron patients are lower than for those confirmed with the Delta variant. This is based on the results of the study by Lewnard, JA, et al., 2022, as well as studies in Denmark, South Africa, England, Canada, and the United States.

Even so, said Wiku, if the cases continued to rise high, it would burden the national health system as the demand for services at hospitals also increased.

"Moreover, the high transmission rate can put vulnerable populations in more risky situations," he said.

Furthermore, WHO stated that the Omicron variant can infect people who have been exposed to COVID-19 before. This case was observed from the results of studies in South Africa, Denmark, Israel, and the UK. WHO also stated that the vaccine was reduced in effectiveness, but still played a large role in preventing the severity of symptoms and death. It is also known that infection with the COVID-19 variant will be more effectively prevented by booster vaccination.

In addition, cellular immunity (non-antibody) still provides strong protection against Omicron variants up to 70 to 80 percent. Cellular immunity is formed both in people who have been infected and those who have been vaccinated.

Furthermore, WHO said there was no significant impact on the effectiveness of the treatment already used to treat COVID-19 cases at this time. The drug used for the previous variant is still effectively used for Omicron.

"Therefore, those who have been infected must not ignore health protocols and must continue to be vaccinated according to the procedures established by the Ministry of Health," he added.