detection of three subvariants of Omicron It has the world in suspense online with the high level of contagiousness of the strain detected in South Africa that is causing new waves and restrictions. Although there is a health alarm against these mutations, a priori they do not imply a new threat, but specialists insist on vaccination to prevent the virus from continuing to change with the risk of generating a new, more threatening variant.
Two years after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and with more than 300 million positive cases in the world, the Covid-19 virus continues to circulate and replicate, especially via Omicron, its most recent variant. Its high level of mutations in the spike protein – from where it enters the body – was approximately 50, which made it highly transmissible, surpassing its predecessor, the Delta variant (which underwent between 5 and 7 mutations).
As with other variants, as it expanded Ómicron had protein modifications in the form of “subvariants”, just like Ómicron BA.1 detected in in India, BA.2 In Israel Y BA.3 in United States, that the level of danger compared to the original version could not yet be confirmed, despite the fact that they are responsible for most cases in countries such as Denmark, Australia, Canada and Singapore.
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The Omicron variant of the coronavirus suffered 50 mutations in its S protein.
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What is a subvariant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus
In dialogue with PROFILE, the infectious disease doctor Ricardo Teijeiro explains that virus mutations are protein changes in its viral structure as it replicates in the cells of infected patients, and it is something that occurs randomly.
“Subvariants appear when a virus passes from person to person or stays in an organism for a long time, especially in immunocompromised patients or patients who do poorly. When replicating in the cell, it can undergo this type of change in its protein”, says the specialist.
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In the case of Omicron,s sublinks BA.1 BA.2 and BA.3 They respond to the places where the Ómicron strain suffered these modifications, which the expert assures that it already has 50 modifications in the S protein, the one responsible for the entry of the virus into the body. He assures that these versions “are not so important” since these changes in the structure of the virus “They do not alter their ability to infect or be more aggressive.”
“It is the same variant. The level of contagiousness of the subvariants are similar to the original Omicron, here the important thing is that a more aggressive variant that could modify the evolution of the pandemic does not appear”, emphasizes Teijeiro. It should be noted that both Ómicron and its predecessor Delta are considered “variants of concern” according to health agencies, because they generated a change in the development of the pandemic worldwide.
In the case of Ómicron, it is “very contagious but less aggressive”, and mainly attacks the unvaccinated or patients with other pathologies, such as diabetes or chronic diseases. “For this reason it is essential to insist on vaccination,” concludes the infectologist.
Vaccination as the best ally against coronavirus mutations
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Vaccination is key to confronting the new SARS-Cov-2 mutations.
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Although the infection caused by Omicron usually presents milder symptoms in most cases, specialists insist on reinforcing vaccination to avoid new mutations of SARS-Cov-2 -the virus that causes respiratory infection- that could cause the appearance of a new and more threatening strain.
On the other hand, despite the worldwide alert for the detection of cases of the subvariants that “appear to be more transmissible than the original”, there is a consensus that they continue to be part of the “Omicron family”, which is why the hypothesis that the mutations will not influence the dynamics of the pandemic, unlike what happened with the emergence of Ómicron.
The strain B.1.1.529, known as Omicron, was first identified in Botswana on November 11, 2021, but South African researchers were the first to announce its discovery on November 25. In just a couple of days, cases were reported in Hong Kong, Botswana, Israel and Belgium.
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