2022/01/01 by Donghoon Shin, Davey M. Smith, Jun Yong Choi · 3 citations
Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research #Animal Virus Infections Studies #COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.3349/ymj.2022.0383
openalex publication_date 2022/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
As soon as the first case of the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was reported in November 2021, it quickly spread worldwide with the emergence of several subvariants. Compared to previous variants, omicron was heavily mutated, especially for those in the Spike (S) protein and its receptor-binding domain. These mutations allowed the viruses to evade immune responses (i.e., previous infections and vaccine-elicited) and increase in transmissibility. Although vaccine effectiveness is decreased for omicron, boosters remain effective for protecting against severe diseases. Also, bivalent vaccines have been developed to increase vaccine effectiveness. Interestingly, although omicron is highly infectious, it has less morbidity and mortality compared to previously identified variants, such as delta. Additionally, the mutations that allow the virus to evade immune responses also allow it to evade many of the monoclonal antibodies developed at the beginning of the pandemic for treatment. Here, we reviewed the omicron variant's epidemiology, genetics, transmissibility, disease severity, and responsiveness to vaccine and treatments.