WHO declares Omicron as variant of concern? It was 26 November 2021 that WHO declared that the world was facing a new variant of concern: Omicron.21K (omicron) is of primarily concern because of the detection of large number of mutation in its spike gene Figure 1. Most of these variants plays an important role in antibody recognition and ACE2 binding and are in the N-terminal or receptor-binding domain.

1. AWARENESS ABOUT OMICRON
IN INDIA /PRESENT STATUS
DR.ANJALATCHI M.SC (N) PH.D(N)

2. Abbreviation
• Variant of Interest (VOI) and
• Variant of Concern (VOC).
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
• severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2"
(SARS-CoV-2).
• Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE)
• Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS),

3. CONTINUED

4. First case detected in south Africa

5. World report about omicron
• While Omicron was first reported in South Africa on November 24. South Africa
province of Gauteng, where the Omicron COVID-19 variant was first detected
registered over 300% increase in Coronavirus-related hospitalisations.
• India's first two cases of the this heavily mutated version of the coronavirus were
detected in Karnataka on 2 December.
• GENEVA, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in
89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with
community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.

6. World wide at glance

7. Omicron Status In India
• India's Omicron Covid count rose to 153 on
Sunday 19/12/21.After Maharashtra reported six
and Gujarat logged four more cases of the new
variant of coronavirus, respectively
• The number of Omicron cases have now
surpassed 150 in the country and these infections
have been reported from 11 states and Union
territories so far, the Union ministry of health and
family welfare said on Friday

8. THE OMICRON SPREAD IN INDIA

9. State-wise tally of Omicron
• Maharashtra (54)
• Delhi (22)
• Telangana (20)
• Rajasthan (17)
• Karnataka (14)
• Gujarat (11)
• Kerala (11
• Andhra Pradesh (1)
• Chandigarh (1)
• Tamil Nadu (1)
• West Bengal (1)

10. Continued
• A 37-year-old man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania has tested
positive for Omicron, making it the first case of the new COVID-19
variant in the national capital and the fifth in the country. ... "The
patient is an Indian and had returned from Tanzania.
• A 45-year-old NRI and a teenage boy, who recently arrived in
Gujarat from the United Kingdom, have been found infected with
the Omicron variant of COVID-19, officials said. With this, the total
number of such cases in the state has gone up to nine.

11. About the omicron first case arise
• On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the
variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named
Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical
Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-
VE). This decision was based on the evidence
presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has
several mutations that may have an impact on
how it behaves, for example, on how easily it
spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here
is a summary of what is currently known.

13. Virus variant
• The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2
Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) is an independent
group of experts that periodically monitors
and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2
and assesses if specific mutations and
combinations of mutations alter the behaviour
of the virus. The TAG-VE was convened on 26
November 2021 to assess the SARS-CoV-2
variant: B.1.1.529.

14. The first cases detect in
• The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO
from South Africa on 24 November 2021. The
epidemiological situation in South Africa has
been characterized by three distinct peaks in
reported cases, the latest of which was
predominantly the Delta variant. In recent weeks,
infections have increased steeply, coinciding with
the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first
known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a
specimen collected on 9 November 2021.

15. Name has came as Omicron
• There are a number of studies underway and the
TAG-VE will continue to evaluate this variant.
WHO will communicate new findings with
Member States and to the public as needed.
• Based on the evidence presented indicative of a
detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology,
the TAG-VE has advised WHO that this variant
should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has
designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron.

16. Characteristic of virus
• A SARS-CoV-2 VOC is a SARS-CoV-2 variant that meets
the definition of a VOI (see above) and, through a
comparative assessment, has been demonstrated to be
associated with one or more of the following changes
at a degree of global public health significance:
• increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in
COVID-19 epidemiology; OR
• increase in virulence or change in clinical disease
presentation; OR
• decrease in effectiveness of public health and social
measures or available diagnostics, vaccines,
therapeutics

18. Transmissibility
• It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more
transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to
person) compared to other variants, including Delta.

19. 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

20. Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2
infection
• Preliminary evidence suggests there may be
an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron
(ie, people who have previously had COVID-19
could become reinfected more easily with
Omicron), as compared to other variants of
concern, but information is limited. More
information on this will become available in
the coming days and weeks.

21. Effectiveness of vaccines
• WHO is working with technical partners to
understand the potential impact of this
variant on our existing countermeasures,
including vaccines. Vaccines remain critical to
reducing severe disease and death, including
against the dominant circulating variant,
Delta. Current vaccines remain effective
against severe disease and death.

22. Effectiveness of current tests
• The widely used PCR tests continue to detect
infection, including infection with Omicron, as
we have seen with other variants as well.
Studies are ongoing to determine whether
there is any impact on other types of tests,
including rapid antigen detection tests.

23. Effectiveness of current treatments
• Corticosteroids and IL6 Receptor Blockers will
still be effective for managing patients with
severe COVID-19.
• Other treatments will be assessed to see if
they are still as effective given the changes to
parts of the virus in the Omicron variant.

24. Recommended actions for countries
• As Omicron has been designated a Variant of Concern,
there are several actions WHO recommends countries
to undertake, including enhancing surveillance and
sequencing of cases
• Countries should continue to implement the effective
public health measures to reduce COVID-19 circulation
overall, using a risk analysis and science-based
approach. They should increase some public health and
medical capacities to manage an increase in
cases. WHO is providing countries with support and
guidance for both readiness and response.

25. Continued
• In addition, it is vitally important that
inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines are
urgently addressed to ensure that vulnerable
groups everywhere, including health workers
and older persons, receive their first and
second doses, alongside equitable access to
treatment and diagnostics.

26. Recommended actions for people
The most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of
the COVID-19 virus is
 To Keep A Physical Distance Of At Least 1 Metre From Others;
 Wear A Well-fitting Mask;
 Open Windows To Improve Ventilation;
 Avoid Poorly Ventilated Or Crowded Spaces;
 Keep Hands Clean;
 Cough Or Sneeze Into A Bent Elbow Or Tissue;
 And Get Vaccinated When It’s Their Turn.
WHO will continue to provide updates as more information becomes
available, including following meetings of the TAG-VE. In addition,
information will be available on WHO’s digital and social media
platforms.

28. As such, countries are asked to do the
following:
• Enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand
circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.
• Submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a
publicly available database, such as GISAID.
• Report initial cases/clusters associated with VOC infection to WHO
through the IHR mechanism.
• Where capacity exists and in coordination with the international
community, perform field investigations and laboratory assessments to
improve understanding of the potential impacts of the VOC on COVID-19
epidemiology, severity, effectiveness of public health and social measures,
diagnostic methods, immune responses, antibody neutralization, or other
relevant characteristics.
• Individuals are reminded to take measures to reduce their risk of COVID-
19, including proven public health and social measures such as wearing
well-fitting masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improving ventilation
of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and getting vaccinated.

29. Prevention

30. THANK YOU