BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: Delta

How does the Omicron variant of COVID-19 compare to the deadly Delta variant?

With news of the new variant of the COVID-19 virus reaching 16 states here in the US, many are asking: What is this Omicron variant?

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organization by the Head of South African Medical Association, Dr. Angelique Coetzee. As of December 6, 2021, there are about 59,000 Americans hospitalized due to said variant.  The Delta variant, more than twice as contagious than previous variants according to the CDC, still continues to be the leading cause of COVID-related hospitalization and deaths today in the US and many other countries. However, medical experts are saying that Omicron has a few different key mutations that make it very likely to outperform Delta. How does this Omicron variant compare to the deadly Delta variant which we’ve been battling this year? Here are the main things you need to know.

Symptoms of the Omicron variant:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Infection and Spread:

So far, people who have been diagnosed with the Omicron variant of SARS-Cov-2 in the US have or had mild symptoms, yet it is said to be much more contagious. Why? The difference in the structure of the spike proteinVariants of COVID-19 have mutations present in the spike protein due to copying errors in our DNA.

File:Omicron.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Omicron Structure pictured

The Delta variant has 18 mutations in its spike proteins…Omicron has a whopping 43! That is many, many more than Delta. Jeremy Kamil, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, said, “The number of changes blew people’s minds…It’s an exaggeration to say we’re back at square one, but this is not a good development.”

Around 30 countries have detected said variant so far; 19 states in the US have. The high number of mutations it contains does not necessarily mean it’s more dangerous. As previously stated, Omicron patients have thus far exhibited milder symptoms. Dr. Coatzee said that she first discovered Omicron’s appearance as her patients exhibited “unusual symptoms” in comparison to the Delta variant. However, don’t be too scared; experts say our immune systems have grown more equipped to fight the COVID-19 virus.

We still have yet to learn more about Omicron and its nature, infection, etc., as it is very new.

Free COVID-19 Illustrations - Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI)The original COVID-19 virus’s structure is pictured above

With Omicron having more than double the mutations as Delta, the likeliness of transmission/level of contagiousness is quite high–also meaning that the efficacy of our vaccine could be compromised. The Omicron spike protein has similar components that of the Delta, beta, and gamma variants, meaning that the rate of transmissibility is similar. With Omicron having the largest number of mutations, however, transmissibility can be increased more than 2x!

What should you do?

Well, continue to follow the standard COVID-19 measures. Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, travel less, and just be careful. These methods have proven time and time again to help. Travel restrictions on the rise can be tough with the holidays coming, but remember that they are only in place for the sake of our safety. It is important to follow these rules as the pandemic is not over.

Mu Vs. Delta: Which is the Scarier SARS-CoV-2 Variant?

The Mu variant has been a term of interest in a lot of peoples conversations. This is due to the fact that it has been getting a lot of news coverage as one of the latest variants of the world wide virus SARS-CoV-2. It has been portrayed to be the next big virus ready to take over the world, but, does it have the legs to do so and how much more dangerous is it than other mutations such as the Delta variant?

Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée laboratoire PMC - 46940329992

The Mu variant first popped up on January 2021 in Columbia and has spread to about 39 countries since then. Mu is very similar to the original version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, where it differs is at the two mutations E484K and K417N. These are what cause Mu to be seen as a variant of the original virus. The traditional anti-bodies that would normally be able to stop SARS-CoV-2 are seemingly ineffective against Mu leading the World Health Organization to classify it as a “Variant of Interest”. This classification means that it will continue to be monitored closely to derive the best possible plan on how to contain it. The mutations of Mu give it different properties such as mutation E484K, this mutation caused a drastic change in the structure of the original Covid-19 protein and thus made it so that it is able to by pass the human immune system easier. This is seen as a big problem because studies of how the anti-bodies effect SARS-CoV-2 conducted in US and UK compared to those conducted African countries have shown that African cases seem to be severely less effective against SARS-CoV-2. Researchers believe this is due to Africa being exposed to significantly more cases with the E484K mutation. As discussed in class this sequence of numbers and letters means that in the original amino acid sequence at spot 484 there was a Glutamic Acid amino acid (which is a negatively charged), and then once the mutation occurred it then became Lysine which is positively charged. This change in properties is what causes the protein to fold differently thus causing a severe changes as to how it behaves in humans. The Mu variant seems to have been able to disregard the anti-bodies and still effect the human body. However this seems to be the reach of its dangerous mutations because as of now scientist have no reason to believe that Mu is any more transmissible than the original virus which is a good sign.

The Delta variant has been an extremely worrisome mutation for some time now with the first case being noted back in October of 2020 believing to have originated in India. The Delta variant has been one that has taken over the world recently and it seems as though the former version of Covid-19 is a thing of the past and that Delta is the new pandemic. This is due to Delta’s interesting mutation P681R. The original amino acid at place 681 was Proline which has no charge, however after the mutation occurred it became Arginine which is negatively charges causing the amino acids to behalves differently with each other and the environment. This mutation is the cause of Delta’s incredibly rapid spread throughout the world. This ability to be globally spread in months is just one of the reasons why it has also taken the lives of so many as more people are getting Delta over the initial virus now.

Ultimately, it is clear which variant has been seen as the more dangerous by the media: Delta. However, while the Delta variant is scary in it’s own right, it just seems to be a faster spreading SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile Mu has a way to almost be a completely different virus as it spreads just as fast as the original virus (it only took 4-5 months to completely shut down the world). It is also able to completely bypass the anti-bodies if you already had Covid-19 or have the vaccine. If this virus reaches levels of spread to the likes of Delta then scientist are going to have to create a new vaccine for Mu as it is simply to dangerous to ignore. Feel free to share how you feel about all of this and let me hear your take on the more menacing variant!

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén

Skip to toolbar