Alpha, Delta and Omikron. Or Α, Δ and Ο, if you like. Actually, they are just innocent letters in the Greek alphabet, but during the pandemic the words have been used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to describe the different variants of the coronavirus. Now the WHO fears that a new virus variant may be developed that can cause “significant mortality”. In that case, this will be a variant that gives additional cause for concern, a so-called “variant of concern” (VOC). – Gaps in both monitoring, testing, sequencing and vaccination still create perfect conditions for a new corona variant that can cause significant mortality, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference on Friday. The WHO has also published a separate list of omicron variants that they monitor closely. Almost three years have passed since the WHO chief spoke to the press on 5 March 2020, when the corona virus skyrocketed. Now Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus fears that a new variant could “result in significant mortality”. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI FHI: – Complex variant picture The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) writes in its latest weekly report on the corona virus that “the virus variant picture has perhaps never been more complex than now”. FHI describes the situation as “unpredictable”. Variants of the coronavirus “which better avoid immunity and antibody treatment, now dominate in Norway”, writes FHI. FHI warns that it could lead to a “further increase in the epidemic”, but also writes that “the variants do not appear to cause more serious disease”. – It is the virus’s ability to cause serious illness that we pay particular attention to. There is currently nothing to suggest that BQ. 1 or subvariants cause more severe disease than omicron BA. 5, department director Are Stuwitz Berg in FHI told news earlier this week. Expert on mutant danger: – Difficult to predict Ørjan Olsvik is professor of medical microbiology at UiT Norway’s Arctic University and has worked extensively with epidemics, including Ebola, cholera and polio. He is also a member of the Corona Commission. Ørjan Olsvik is professor of medical microbiology and has followed several epidemics closely. Photo: Tonje Hareland / news The professor emphasizes that there is a lot of omicron infection in the world now, and that there are already many varieties of omicron. – We know that there will be new variants, but how dangerous they will be is difficult to predict. We cannot look into the future and know what kind of variant it will be, says Olsvik. – When the WHO chief points to the danger of a new variant and says such a variant can cause significant mortality, what do you think? – It is perhaps a bit contrary to what we have observed until now, where we have not had increased mortality in the first place, because the vaccine has provided some protection against mortality and serious illness. – So then there must be something very special that will happen with the new variants, if it is to happen. But it is also a possibility, of course, says Olsvik. – Not over until “the fat lady sings” Olsvik points out that even vaccinated people can be infected with the virus variant that is gaining momentum in Norway at the moment, the so-called BQ. 1 variant. In addition, it is the case that many people do not get so bad when they become infected that it is a given that they stay at home anyway. In this way, they infect others when they go to work or school. It will soon be three years since the pandemic broke out at the beginning of 2020. – When will we know that this is over? – To put it that way: There is an old saying from American opera, “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings”. But we know that it is under control when we have received vaccines that are so good that there can still be viruses in circulation, without there being an outbreak, says Olsvik.
ttn-69
