Weather of Arabia - The mutated Omicron of the Corona virus has spread around the world at a rapid pace since it was first discovered in South Africa last month, but there is still a lot we do not know about it.
Omicron infections have been detected in at least 89 countries so far, with countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea re-imposing lockdown measures to slow its spread.
More data is needed to determine its precise characteristics and how it responds to current coronavirus vaccines, but what seems undoubtedly more transmissible than any previous strains we've encountered since the start of the pandemic, including the alpha and delta mutant.
The only thing that has become clear over the past few weeks is how Pennants Omicron differs from Kovid original -19 strain, the WHO estimated that the symptoms in the case of the strain of the virus Corona first takes between two days to two weeks to appear, while believed to have custody of the mutated period Omicron is lower, and symptoms appear much faster, approximately three to five days.
British Health Minister Sajid Javid told MPs earlier that "recent analysis from the UK's Health Security Agency indicates that the interval between infection and transmission may be shorter for the omicron mutant than for the delta mutant."
This would explain why it spreads quickly, as the short incubation period gives patients a shorter period between being suspected of having the virus and recording a positive test result, which reduces the time to warn others and take measures to prevent transmission and entry into quarantine.
Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, warned in a post in The Atlantic this week that the shorter incubation period "makes the virus much more difficult to control."
Another aspect that makes the omicron mutant more difficult to detect than other strains is that its symptoms are somewhat different from the three basic indicators we have been taught to be on the lookout for: cough, fever and loss of taste or smell.
By contrast, early warning signs of the new 'Omicron' variant include:
As for the recovery period: Medical reports from Omicron cases analyzed in Britain showed that patients recover within five days to a week on average , although some symptoms such as coughing and fatigue may last longer.
Shortness of breath has also been reported in more severe cases, which has been observed to persist for 13 days afterward.
Medical data showed that the possibility of transmission of the Covid-19 virus infection usually began about two days before the first symptoms appeared and continued for 10 days after that.
If you think you have symptoms or suspect an infection, get a PCR test as soon as possible and self-quarantine at home to protect others.
Our best hope against the omicron mutant at the moment is a booster vaccine dose, as studies have shown that three doses are likely to offer a greater degree of immunity against the new strain than the two doses.
But, as Mr Javid said, "there are no guarantees in this pandemic", so the public is also advised to adhere to the restrictions currently in place including the wearing of masks in public places, to forgo non-essential social obligations in the approach of the New Year celebrations and to exercise extreme caution.
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