From: slider@anashram.com

Of all the variants so far, B.1.1.529 is causing the most alarm. And with
good reason.

The "omicron" variant, as it was named on November 26 by the World Health Organisation, has an eye-watering number of mutations, many of which could
help it dodge immunity, or make it more infectious.

Since delta, there have been eight other variants named after letters of
the Greek alphabet by the organisation, but none have triggered this much worry.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/27/new-covid-variant-nu-strain-south-africa-symptoms-cases-uk/

The most concerning changes with the omicron variant have happened to the
spike protein, where there are about twice as many mutations as the delta variant.

When Dr Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, spotted the mutations in the sequence data last week, he labelled them “horrific” and “really awful”.

“I would take a guess that this would be worse antigenically than nearly anything else about,” he said.

‘Causing real concern’

One senior UK health official said that the spike protein on the omicron variant was “so dramatically different” that it was “causing real concern”.

“It is the worst variant I have seen so far. We have protein experts and virologists who are all extremely concerned,” the official said.

Variant first found in Botswana
The variant was first spotted in Botswana on November 11, and cases have
now been found in South Africa, Israel, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Hong
Kong.

The first UK cases of the omicron Covid variant were also confirmed on Saturday, with two people, in Essex and Nottinghamshire, testing positive
for the variant. Officials have since started carrying out mass testing in affected areas to identify further cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on November 27 that new
restrictions would be imposed in response to the cases in a bid to slow
the omicron variant.

Mr Johnson said that, from Monday, people must wear masks in shops and on public transport. Anyone who enters the UK must now also take a PCR test
by the end of the second day after arrival and self isolate until they
have a negative result.

Variant has 50 mutations

The variant has about 50 mutations, with 30 in the spike protein and 10 in
the receptor binding motif, the part that binds to our cell receptor
called ACE2, which is greater than any other mutated strain.

Spike proteins are little grappling hooks on the surface of the virus
which it uses to latch on to human cells.

Changes to the spike protein are particularly concerning because vaccines
have been designed to help the body recognise the spike shape. If they
change too much, the immune system will be blind to an infection.

Put simply, vaccines would stop working and all our hard won protection
would be lost.

Antibodies made by the body from a natural infection may also struggle to
see off this new interloper.

There are also mutations at the furin cleavage site, which is alarming as
this is an area that helps the virus get into human cells, and which makes
it so infectious.

One mutation, P681H, has previously been found in alpha, mu and some gamma cases. But this is the first time that two changes have been seen in a
single variant.

These changes are likely to enhance the virus’s ability to enter cells, increasing viral load and making it more transmissible.

There are also two mutations in an area called the nucleocapsid, R203K and G204R, which were present in the alpha, gamma and lambda variants, and are known to increase infectivity.

As if this were not enough, there are also several changes that have never
been seen before, which are also alarming scientists.

‘More of a hit on vaccines than anything we’ve seen so far’

Dr Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre
in Seattle, said that many mutations, particularly E484, G446, K417 and
Q493, were at “peak escape sites”, meaning that many antibodies would be impacted.

“This does not mean that the [omicron] variant will fully escape vaccine
or infection-elicited antibodies. It takes many many mutations to fully
escape neutralisation, and there are also T-cells,” he said.

“But I’d expect the [omicron] variant to cause more of a hit on vaccines –
and infection-elicited antibody neutralisation – than anything we’ve seen so far.”

Aside from the theoretical science of why it could be more infectious and dangerous, real world data is also suggesting that omicron could cause
serious problems.

In South Africa, the variant is spreading in Gauteng province. Positivity
rates in Tshwane, part of Gauteng, have increased massively in the past
three weeks, from less than one per cent to more than 30 per cent.

Sequence data showed that the majority of samples in the area are now
omicron, with the variant having taken over from delta and C.1.2, another concerning variant which shares the same furin cleavage site mutation.

New variant ‘seems to spread very quickly’

Prof Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response
and Innovation in South Africa, said: “This new variant, B.1.1.529, seems
to spread very quickly. In less than two weeks, it now dominates all
infections following a devastating delta wave in South Africa.

“We estimate that 90 per cent of the cases in Gauteng, at least 1,000 a
day, are this variant.”

The only slightly positive element is that a certain deletion on the spike protein means that it can be easily picked up through PCR testing, making
it easier for the world to track.

Health officials are now watching reinfection data closely to see how many people are being infected from each case. That will give an indication of
how much more transmissible it is.

Prof Sharon Peacock, the director of the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium,
said: “This situation is reminiscent of the epidemiology of alpha in Kent around a year ago. There was a surge in cases, but it was not clear
whether this was due to one or more super-spreader events or was
associated with a more transmissible virus.

“The genetic difference of B.1.1.529 has led to the hypothesis that this
may have evolved in someone who was infected but could then not clear the virus, giving the virus the chance to genetically evolve – the equivalent
of an evolutionary gym.”

It will be several more weeks or months before we know if it is also more deadly.

Scientists have also started lab experiments to see how well antibodies neutralise the virus, which will also give an indication of how much more infectious it is.

For now, all the world can do is hold its breath and hope for the best.

### - well here we go again with more bungling and an overly slow reaction
to this new threat, coz they've known about this variant for maybe 4 weeks already and it's only NOW they's battening down the hatches when they
SHOULD have jumped all over this shit at least a couple of weeks ago??

we just don't fucking LEARN do we!!! (yak!)

the result being that this new shit is now 'already' everywhere! (fucking idiots!)

being even MORE infectious than delta (which was bad enough and the worst
so far) this thing is likely gonna tear through society now like wildfire!?

the only questions remaining being if it's more deadly/vax-resistent or
not...

we just don't know - yet!

so are all holdin' our breath here boss!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)