What are Covid 19 Omicron Variant Symptoms? Pfizer to Seek Approval

What are Covid 19 Omicron Variant Symptoms?

Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta.

Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.

There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants.

Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks.

All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.

Studies underway

At the present time, WHO is coordinating with a large number of researchers around the world to better understand Omicron. Studies currently underway or underway shortly include assessments of transmissibility, severity of infection (including symptoms), performance of vaccines and diagnostic tests, and effectiveness of treatments.

WHO encourages countries to contribute the collection and sharing of hospitalized patient data through the WHO COVID-19 Clinical Data Platform to rapidly describe clinical characteristics and patient outcomes.

More information will emerge in the coming days and weeks. WHO’s TAG-VE will continue to monitor and evaluate the data as it becomes available and assess how mutations in Omicron alter the behaviour of the virus.

What are omicron variant symptoms? Everything to know about the latest COVID-19 strain

While millions of Americans were enjoying Thanksgiving weekend with loved ones, health officials were sounding the alarm on a “heavily mutated” coronavirus variant emerging in South Africa.

The World Health Organization announced Friday it had designated the new strain a “variant of concern” and named it omicron.

Not much is yet known about new variant but experts say it could take hold, causing infections to surge.

“Omicron’s very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with COVID-19, it is not done with us,” said the WHO’s director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Here’s everything to know about omicron and why Americans should take notice.

What are the omicron symptoms?

WHO says there’s no evidence to suggest that symptoms linked to omicron are different from those caused by other variants.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, was one of the first doctors in South Africa to detect the new variant.

She told Reuters symptoms of the omicron variant were “very mild” and could be treated at home. These infections were first reported in university students who were younger and tended to have milder disease.

But like all coronavirus variants, WHO said, omicron may be capable of causing severe disease or death, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Where has it been detected?

South African scientists say omicron may be behind the recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province.

Portuguese health authorities identified 13 cases of omicron Monday among members of a top soccer club. One of the players who tested positive had recently traveled to South Africa.

Canada’s health minister says the country’s first two cases of omicron were found in Ontario after two individuals who had recently traveled from Nigeria tested positive.

Should I be concerned about it?

In a media briefing Monday, President Joe Biden said omicron is “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

As of Monday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said no cases of omicron have been identified in the U.S.

However, health experts believe omicron is likely already spreading undetected.

What makes omicron different from other variants?

Omicron appears to have about 30 mutations in on the coronavirus’ spike protein.

Out of the approximately 30 mutations, 26 are unique to omicron and don’t appear in other variants of concern, according to Dr. Venky Soundararajan, co-founder and chief medical officer at nference, a data analytics firm in Massachusetts.

In comparison, the alpha variant has only four unique mutations, beta has six, gamma has eight and delta has seven.

“I’m less concerned about the fact that these mutations exist and I’m more concerned about the fact that we know very little about many of them,” Soundararajan said.

A handful of omicron’s mutations that exist in other variants have been associated with previous surges of positive COVID-19 cases, he said. Some of these mutations are believed to increase transmissibility while others may help the virus evade immunity.

FAQ :

What is omicron?

The World Health Organization designated the B.1.1.529 variant a “variant of concern” Friday and named it omicron after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.

What are the omicron symptoms?

WHO says there’s no evidence to suggest that symptoms linked to omicron are different from those caused by other variants.

Are there any deaths linked to omicron?

As of Monday, no deaths were reported associated with the new variant.

Do the COVID-19 vaccines protect against omicron?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, told Biden he believes “existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of COVID,” reiterating that booster shots on top of full vaccination will provide stronger protection.

Pfizer to Seek Approval

Pfizer CEO confident Covid treatment pill will be effective against omicron variant

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Monday he expects the company’s Covid-19 treatment pill to be effective against the omicron variant of the virus causes Covid-19.

“The good news when it comes to our treatment, it was designed with that in mind, it was designed with the fact that most mutations are coming in the spikes,” Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “So that gives me very high level of confidence that the treatment will not be affected, our oral treatment will not be affected by this virus.”

Pfizer submitted its application earlier this month to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the pill, Paxlovid, for emergency use. In a clinical trial of people age 18 and over, Pfizer found the pill reduces hospitalization and death by 89% when taken with a widely used HIV drug within three days of the start of symptoms.

The pill blocks an enzyme the virus needs to replicate. It is used in combination with HIV drug ritonavir, which slows the human metabolism to allow the Paxlovid to remain active in the body longer at a higher concentration to combat the virus.

Moderna CEO says it will take months to clear a new Covid vaccine targeting omicron

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel on Monday said it will take months to develop and ship a vaccine that specifically targets the omicron variant of the virus that causes Covid-19.

However, a higher 100-microgram dose of the company’s booster shot could be ready much sooner.

“The higher dose could be done right away but it will be months before the omicron specific variant is ready to ship in massive quantities,” Bancel told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Bancel said Moderna believes the omicron variant is highly infectious, but it will take at least two weeks to determine how much the mutations have impacted the efficacy of the vaccines currently on the market.

“Depending on how much it dropped, we might decide on the one hand to give a higher dose of the current vaccine around the world to protect people, maybe people at very high risk, the immunocompromised, and the elderly should need a fourth dose” he said.

Bill Ackman says the Omicron virus variant could actually boost the US markets if its symptoms end up being mild

The new Omicron coronavirus variant could end up boosting the US stock market, said the hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

“A thought,” Ackman wrote in a tweet Sunday evening. “While it is too early to have definitive data, early reported data suggest that the Omicron virus causes ‘mild to moderate’ symptoms (less severity) and is more transmissible. If this turns out to be true, this is bullish not bearish for markets.”

Ackman, the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, added in a separate tweet that he thought it would most likely be bullish for the equity market and bearish for the bond market.

As noted in a Monday report by CNBC, Ackman gave an emphatic warning about the coronavirus in a March 2020 TV appearance, urging President Donald Trump to shut down the country for a month in an attempt to control the coronavirus.

Covid News: Pfizer to Seek Approval for Boosters for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

Pfizer and BioNTech are expected this week to apply for regulatory approval for a booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. If approved, the shot would be the first booster available to people under 18.

The Food and Drug Administration could authorize extra shots within roughly a week, the people said.

The move would come as President Biden seeks to reassure the nation about Omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus. On Monday, he called the variant “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

“I’m sparing no effort, removing all roadblocks to keep the American people safe,” Mr. Biden said at the White House.

Biden will not do to fight the Omicron variant

There was a telling moment during President Joe Biden‘s remarks on the new Omicron coronavirus variant at the White House Monday.

He’s all in on doing everything he can to get Americans vaccinated and politely asking them to mask up, but he’s not likely to go the direction of some European leaders and push lockdowns any time soon.
Biden had been trying to find balance, saying that “this variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

He raised several points to drill home:

We don’t know everything we need to know about Omicron. It’s not time to panic about a new variant, which was first identified in South Africa. It’s also not time to ignore it.

Omicron is coming to the US no matter what.

The virus is going to come here, regardless of new travel restrictions that went into effect Monday. Those, he said, have been put in place to slow the speed of the variant’s spread and allow the US to prepare, not to stop it from entering the country. Some experts think it may be here already.

vaccines, The best way to protect yourself is through vaccination and booster shots.

Mask indoors at public places even if you’re vaccinated. Biden asked people to start wearing masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, to help stop the spread of Covid-19. In the UK, where Omicron cases have been identified, masks are once again required in shops.

Stay tuned. The federal government is working with drug makers in case an update to vaccine recommendations is needed, although Biden said additional measures are likely not necessary.

How do they name Covid variants?

The World Health Organization began naming the variants after Greek letters to avoid public confusion and stigma. Markets plunged on Friday, hope of taming the coronavirus dimmed and a new term entered the pandemic lexicon: Omicron.

Does the COVID-19 test detect the Omicron variant?

Nov 29 (Reuters) – Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (TMO.N) said on Monday its COVID-19 diagnostic tests can accurately detect the new coronavirus variant Omicron that has made several countries to shut their borders.

Why did Covid Skip to Omicron?

Coronavirus Briefing and Health Weekly. Get a morning briefing about the coronavirus pandemic three times a week and a weekly Health newsletter when the crisis abates. The WHO said it had skipped them because Nu was too easily confused with “new,” while Xi is a common surname.

Where is the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus?

Omicron, dubbed a “variant of concern” last week by the WHO that is potentially more contagious than previous variants, has now been detected in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Canada and South Africa.

Why is new virus called Omicron?

Do COVID-19 tests check for the delta variant and other variants?

There are no authorized COVID-19 antigen or molecular tests that specifically report the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. Currently, COVID-19 tests are designed to check broadly for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant.

Are there different types of COVID-19 diagnostic tests?

There are 2 different types of COVID-19 diagnostic tests — molecular tests and antigen tests. Molecular tests detect the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. Antigen tests detect specific proteins made by the virus.