It seems clearly that SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is still with us and is actually staying ahead of the global concern and is moving into the new year 2022. Europe is cutting down holiday plans, shutting gathering events, limiting Christmas shopping preparations and restricting in & out flights. America, Sothern Africa (South Africa, Botswana ..) and a number of other countries are more or less bracing with similar measures.

Such tough lockdown measures all initiated around the 26th November 2021 the date in which the World Health Organisation designated a new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529, Omicron, as a Variant of Concern - VOC, see the related post:

🖘 الـ أُومِيكْرُون B.1.1.529 - Omicron - المتحور الجديد لفيروس كورونا SARS-CoV-2 يُصنّفُ مبدئيا في فئة المتحورات الباعثة_على_القلق - VOC ! Omicron (B.1.1.529) the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been classified in the category of Variant of Concern - VOC ! ..

Omicron, has indeed shown confirmed advantages over the Delta variant in its high rate of transmission & infection, ability to compromise current vaccine by a significant percentage and ability to cause reinfection of previously infected cases.

The speed of propagation of Omicron in bronchial tissues is about 70 times faster than Delta variant; "A preprint reports that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant multiplies faster in human bronchial tissue but slower in lung tissue than the Delta variant, potentially explaining how it’s spreading from person to person so quickly." according to:

World Health Organisation (WHO) in its late technical report "Enhancing Readiness for Omicron (B.1.1.529)" of the 17 Dec 2021, said: "Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity and it remains uncertain to what extent the observed rapid growth rate can be attributed to immune evasion, intrinsic increased transmissibility or a combination of both. However, given current available data, it is likely that Omicron will outpace Delta where community transmission occurs."

WHO also confirms that Omicron's doubling time is between 1.5–3 days a rate of growth advantage over the Delta variant never seen before; follow the link below:

Download the full report here:

Though studies are not conclusive, it also seem established that vaccination of two-doses regimen is not enough for providing reliable immunity against Omicron compared to Delta variant; a Third dose or Booster dose seems necessary in the fight against COVID-19 disease; that is in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.

Omicron's genome developed a combination of about 50 mutations not seen before in other variants. The set of mutations include more than 30 mutations in the spike protein coding region; the protein that SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to attach to the human receptor ACE2 .

The new version of Omicron's genome can be seen as the product of evolution process inside the cells of millions of people infected by the virus over the course of the pandemic of the last two years which seems to have resulted in a combination of mutations several of which have already been found in the spike protein seen in other 'variants of concern' and that are thought to have made the virus more infectious, including D614G, N501Y and K417N. Research is still undergoing to understand the effect the rest of the mutations;

Amongst Omicron's spike protein amino acids replacements, at least 10 mutations are associated with the:

☛ Receptor Binding Domain (RDB domain) which is the key for the virus's binding to its receptor ACE2, see image 2.

In addition, the following important mutation types draw lots of concern:

☛ N-Terminal Domain (NTD) of the Spike protein thought related to the observed resistance to neutralizing antibodies.

☛ Mutations such as N679K, H655Y and P681H found close to the Furin Cleavage site though associated with facilitating the virus entrance to host cells.

☛ Deletion mutations, △105-107, in the NSP6 (Non Structural Protein 6) thought related to Innate Immunity evasion.

☛ Mutation combination G204R + R203K in the nucleocapsid protein which is the genome's enveloping protein thought related to helping the virus in acquiring higher rate of infection..

The list of mutations in the Omicron genome as compared to other variants are available via many resources includng the SVGM-Explorer (SARS-CoV-2 Variants، Genomes & Mutations Explorer, accessed at:

https://www.bioinformaticstools.org/viruses/CoV-2_VrntGnms.php - image 3

See the following related post:

🖙 The Omicron -B.1.1.529- complete Genomic Sequence & Mutations
.. . .. . .. . .. in addition to the Genome of the variant Delta + (δ+).
The_Omicron_complete_Genomic_Sequence_and_Mutations

More than any other variant, Omicron seem to have perfected the spike protein key-lock binding with the human host receptor ACE2 via the adaptation of a large set of mutations of its spike protein and others as well including the the genome immediate encasing; the nucleocapsid protein.

However, despite the grim picture about the current SARS-CoV-2 wave, some positive signs from recent data analysis from South Africa, UK, Norway and other regions, suggest that Omicron causes relatively mild symptoms, reduction of hospitalization, less severe cases and low rates of deaths. Research is still undergoing to understand the impact extend of Omicron on global stage, especially in the light of the confirmed discovery that Omicron compromises vaccine's immunity and even previous infection induced immunity.

In the hope for eradicating the SASR-CoV-2 pandemic in the 2022, the WHO and health authorities around the world advise against the current Omicron wave with the serious adhering to the prevention measures:

1. Take the vaccine if not taken yet. Vaccination is currently the only way out of the pandemic; the new antiviral treatment are still in early stages and can't induce immune response against the virus.

2. Take the vaccine Boosting dose (third dose).
It has been discovered that it induces the raises back the level of antibodies against the coronavirus, even Omicron, to more than 90%, see image 4 and the article in the following link:

It's worth to mention that the WHO have legitimate concerns towards the booster dose not against it per se but in relation to the global inequity of vaccines to poorer countries that would result from the blanket boosting; millions of people around the world have not been vaccinated or not completed the two-dose regime while the whole world populations should vaccinate to truly stop the pandemic. See the late declaration, 22 Dec 2021, by the head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:

3. Wearing well-fitting masks.
Europe, at least some of like Spain, have put back masks mandatory to be worn in public spaces. 4. Hands hygiene, Physical distancing, Crowded spaces avoidance, Indoor ventilation .. and the rest of prevention measures.

See the Arabic version: .. . .. . .. . .. ... . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . : أنظر النسخة العربية

Happy and Healthy new year 2022 to all ..