Amid Omicron spread, virologist says world living under ‘two pandemics’
PremiumThe virologist says that Omicron is not ‘fathered, or mothered, by Wuhan-D614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Kappa or Mu and That much is for sure’
Since the new Omicron variant is “deviant" from the coronavirus pandemic progression, it can be postulated that two pandemics are going on side-by-side in the world currently, reported news agency PTI, quoting a noted virologist.
“Since Omicron is illegitimate or 'deviant' from Covid-19 pandemic progression script, we must think of two pandemics going on side by side – Delta and close relatives, and Omicron and its variants in future," said Dr T Jacob John.
The reason for this hypothesis, according to him, is that Omicron is not "fathered, or mothered, by Wuhan-D614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Kappa or Mu and That much is for sure".
"So in my opinion, this is a variant of unknown proximal parentage but its great-great-grandparent was Wuhan-D614G. We shall see as the pandemic progresses," said John, a former director of the ICMR's Centre of Advanced Research in Virology.
D614G refers to an amino acid mutation in this protein that has become increasingly common in SARS-CoV-2 viruses from around the world.
"Diseases caused by them are also different. One is Pneumonia-hypoxia-multiorgan damage disease but the other an upper/middle respiratory disease that pushes pre-existing chronic disease or old age beyond the wall," he added.
Asked if the peak of the third wave has been reached in India since cases have started plateauing in some places, John said metro cities started first and will finish first.
"All put together is a national epidemic," he said.
On whether the upcoming Covid-19 variants would be more infectious but less lethal, John said generally new pathogens get adapted to human hosts and in the process tend to become more infectious and less pathogenic, within limits.
"Time frame is long, not one or two years... Remember, Delta came late but was both faster-spreading and more pathogenic," he said.
Omicron, the highly infectious variant of coronavirus, is driving the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.
The Union health ministry data updated on Sunday showed that India has reported 7,743 cases of the new strain. This is the highest single-day jump of Omicron cases that the country has witnessed thus far.
With inputs from agencies.
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