The ‘super mutant’ Omicron strain of Covid-19 can multiply 70 times faster in the human bronchus than the Delta variant or the original coronavirus, but it results in less severe symptoms, a new study has found.
The ability to multiply at such super-charged speeds might be the reason for Omicron’s faster transmission between humans, researchers at the University of Hong Kong suggested on Wednesday.
“At 24 hours after infection, the Omicron variant replicated around 70 times higher than the Delta variant and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus,”After studying the lungs of patients, they concluded that this was possible.
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Omicron replication was 10 times faster than normal. “less efficiently”The virus is more prevalent in the lungs that the original, so it could be a reason why this latest version of the disease seems to have fewer severe effects in people who contract it.
The findings don’t mean the public should not be concerned by Omicron, however. According to researchers, “by infecting many more people, a very infectious virus may cause more severe disease and death even though the virus itself may be less pathogenic.”
The severity of the disease can also be determined by how the host reacts to it. This is in addition to other evidence suggesting Omicron may not have the immunity provided by vaccinations. However, Omicron is still a threat. “likely to be very significant.”
The Hong Kong scientist’s paper is currently being peer reviewed for publication.
International panic and travel bans were prompted by the Omicron variant’s emergence last month. The World Health Organization (WHO), medical experts around the world, and others suggested that this new strain might be more contagious than the current ones and be resistant to existing vaccines. However, it quickly became apparent that this latest variant could not be as severe as the previous.
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