Prof. Magiorkinis: We expect a new worrying mutation in 2022

A sensational statement – given that we have not yet “gotten rid” of the Omicron and Delta mutations and scientists in many countries object to the easing of anti-pandemic measures – was made by Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Member of the Committee of Experts Gkikas Magiorkinis.

In an interview he gave, he left open a “window” for another mutation that may cause concern in 2022.

“At the end of 2020 we saw the arrival of three major variants of concern, Alpha, Beta and Gamma, while in 2021 we saw the arrival of Delta and Omicron. “So we are waiting to expect at least one more mutation of concern in 2022”, he says on the website Reader.gr.

Asked when this mutation will appear, he can not make an accurate prediction, but draws attention at a specific time.

“The timing of this is extremely difficult to predict. At the moment it seems that December is the hottest month, as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omicron appeared at that time. “Delta was introduced last year from March to April, when it is the second possible time point for the emergence of a new variant”, he emphasizes.

In the same vein, the World Health Organization’s regional director, Dorit Nijan, points out – speaking to an Israeli newspaper – that new variants may be evolving without our knowledge, which is why global vaccination is so vital.

“What we are likely to see in Europe is that most mutations and changes in the virus will now occur in the context of Omicron. However at the same time, under our noses in Africa and other areas that do not have access to vaccines, we may have completely different strains that are currently developing. “I do not think Omicron is the biggest issue right now, because we need to focus on delivering vaccines to other parts of the world.”

WHO: “Omicron 2” will soon dominate the world

The regional director of the World Health Organization warns that the BA2 variant of the Omicron strain will become the dominant mutation in the coronavirus worldwide.

Also known as Omicron 2, this sub-strain has significant modifications compared to the original Omicron strain, which was located in late 2021 in Botswana and spread with lightning speed around the world.

BA2, or Omicron 2, is considered 30% -34% more contagious than Omicron by health authorities in Britain and Denmark, and the World Health Organization are investigating the new variant as a new strain of concern, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron.

Dr. Dorit Nijan said in an interview with an Israeli newspaper that Omicron 2 appears to be on the path to world domination, but it is likely that those infected with the original Omicron strain will also be immune to its variant.

“Its expected course is that the new variant will dominate the world, as once a certain point is passed it will become dominant as we are already seeing in Denmark and the United Kingdom,” she told the Jerusalem Post.

She added, however, that there does not appear to be a risk of re-infection for those already infected with the original Omicron strain, as the two coronavirus variants are not quite different from each other, although there is still insufficient research to confirm this conclusion.

In fact, as the Israeli pediatrician pointed out, the main difference between Omicron and Omicron 2 is their transmissibility: “It passes from person to person much faster,” said Dr. Nijan for Omicron 2: “If you are in the same room with someone who has the virus, you will catch it. The moment you take off your mask to eat or drink… you never know when you will get infected. “We see this in Denmark, it is moving fast.”

Another difference found, according to the WHO senior official, is the shorter incubation period of the Omicron 2 virus: Many report that they became ill just two to three days after their exposure to the new variant, as opposed to period five. as seven days that the coronavirus initially required to cause Covid-19. However, there are some who report that it took two weeks for them to get sick.