An exploratory study on the propagation of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants: Omicron is the most predominant variant

Abstract

As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) evolves, it accumulates mutations, which are changes in the genetic code. Because this virus has built‐in RNA repair mechanisms, it generates mutations more slowly than some other RNA viruses. Thousands of mutations have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic throughout all virus genomes sequenced to date, resulting in thousands of distinct variants. However, some variants have recently been discovered that appear to increase transmissibility and may affect illness pervasiveness. In this study, we investigated SARS‐CoV‐2 variants and how countries intervene with them. We also depicted the top 25 countries where the Omicron variant is prevalent, with the UK, US, Denmark, France, and Australia having the top five places as of January 13, 2022. The perception of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants was investigated in those five countries, and the propagation rate of the Omicron variant was determined to be 51%, 29%, 26%, 15%, and 44%, respectively, indicating that the Omicron variant is the most prevalent among the others. Then, a study of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection test rate based on tests conducted per one million populations with a number of sequences in those five countries reveals that 25%, 73%, 1.6%, 4.8%, and 1.5%, respectively, it suggests that viral testing should be increased in all five countries since it will help to determine the precise distribution of variants and aid governments in making policy decisions for public safety. We anticipated the production of new variants strains. This study implies that limiting disease transmissions, such as acquiring a coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine and booster doses for those aged 18 and older, as well as wearing the mask in public places, is the best strategy to prevent the emergence of new variants.

Omicron variant: Current insights and future directions

“…( Abrusán and Marsh, 2016 , Ao et al, 2021 , Banoun, 2021 , Basky and Vogel, 2022 , Bekliz et al, 2022 , Bonilla-Aldana and Rodriguez-Morales, 2021 , Burki, , Callaway, 2021 , Cao et al, 2021 , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021 , Clemens et al, 2022 , Cohen et al, 2022 , Cookson and Barnes, 2021 , COVID and Team, 2021 , Dejnirattisai et al, 2022 , Dev and Sengupta, 2020 , Devlin and Kollewe, 2021 , Dikdan et al, 2022 , Dubey et al, 2022 , European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 2021 , Fabricius et al, 2021 , Gardner and Kilpatrick, 2021 , GeurtsvanKessel et al, 2022 , Gu et al, 2022 , Guihot et al, 2020 , Hanage, 2021 , Hodcroft, 2021 , Hurst, 2021 , Iqbal, 2020 , Islam and Hossain, 2022 , John, 2022 , Kaplonek et al, 2021 , Kaushik, 2021 , Kumar et al, 2022 , Lapid, 2021 , Le Page, 2021 , Lee et al, 2022 , Lu et al, 2020 , Mahase, 2021b , Mehta, 2020 , Melinda, 2022 , Mohapatra et al, 2022 , Mohapatra et al, 2022 , Mostafavi et al, 2022 , Mujawar et al, 2020 , Omicron, , P´erez-Then et al, 2022 , Paliwal et al, 2020 , Patalon et al, 2022 , Penner, 2021 , Phan et al, 2022 , Planas et al, 2021 , Planas et al, 2022 , Rahimi and Abadi, 2022 , Rathinasamy and Kandhasamy, 2022 , Tanne, 2021 , …”

Can the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Confer Natural Immunity against COVID-19?

“…These variants are no longer a threat to public health. As of 25 January 2022, variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon, Eta, Kappa, B.1.617.3, Zeta, and Mu were considered VBM [ 18 ].…”

Challenges of nursing care for elderly intensive care unit patients: A qualitative study based on the third wave of COVID-19 in China

“…In early March 2022, the Omicron outbreak occurred in Shanghai, China with fast transmission, provoking the third wave of coronavirus disease 2019 in China [2]. Compared with other mutated viruses, the Omicron variant has been proven to be associated with substantially enhanced transmissibility and higher immune evasion potential [3,4]. Despite its decreased pathogenicity, the Omicron variant still poses high risk to people of older age and those with underlying chronic diseases [5].…”