All about B.A 2, Omicron and, Beta Variants of COVID-19.

Alpha,Delta, Beta, and Gamma are severe public health risks because of their involvement with the higher transmissibility and the potential immune escapE

Overview

In the last more than a few months, several SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) had emerged from many states worldwide. Along with them, VOC (Variant of Concern) for example, Alpha,Delta, Beta, and Gamma are severe public health risks because of their involvement with the higher transmissibility and the potential immune escape.

Here we aimed to answer the frequently asked questions about COVID-19 by general public such as, 

What do mean variants? What is COVID-19 mutation? How many variants are there of COVID-19? List of names of COVID-19 variants?

Are strains of COVID-19 more deadly?

But will provide all facts about B. A 2, Omicron, and Beta variant of COVID-19 as well, such as

How contagious are these Variants?

How severe these are?

Do vaccination effective against Beta, B. A 2, and Omicron variants?

What are mutation and variant?

An alteration in the genetic sequence (you can say genetic makeup), is called a mutation.

Variants are the result of mutation but they are different from each other so if we define Variants in simple words we can say that two genetic sequences or genomes that are different from each other are known as Variants.

Names of COVID-19 Variants

All variants of COVID-19 are listed in the following table with their names, their earliest place of detection, and mention their Greek letter also.

Are strains of COVID-19 more deadly?

The Center for Disease and Control(CDC) brings up to date the Variant of strains into different classes, named Variant of Concern, Variant of Interest, and, Variant of high consequence because according to the scientific data, the Variant's status may sometimes be increased or decreased.

The Variant of Concern is considered more severe compared the other two strains.

BA.2 and Omicron

Botswana was the first state where the Omicron (a variant of COVID-19) was earliest recognized, in 2021, November. Just then spread around the country and becoming a speedily circulating variant.

BA.2 variant goes beyond the original Omicron strain in March to produce to be the primary variant in the U.S. Omicron had been recognized in Botswana and South Africa in November 2021 and then spread in other countries. Next to December, it was causing daily basis cases in the U.S to beat a million.

The BA.2sub-variant spreads with no trouble than the other variants though it does not appear to cause more severe disease than B.A 1. There are moreover sub-variant of B. A 2 including BA.2 and BA.5 are not spreading in the U.S at this time, as compared to other variants, on the other hand, another sub-variant BA.2. 12. 1 already accounts for 20% of new cases. Researchers are at rest examining whether the BA.2 sub-variants are more transmittable or hazardous than the other variants.

In attendance, more research is needed to know about Omicron (BA.1) and its sub-variant BA.2.  

How contagious is it?

The omicron variant shows evidence of transmissibility, when compared to the Delta variant.

Omicron is more transmittable or contagious than the Delta variant, that was earlier, reported from South Africa, as evidenced by the cases increasing rapidly from 300 days to 3,000 a day in two weeks. It probably assisted its conversation into the prime variant, in most areas of the world. A virus's spike's protein is a part that attaches to human cells, and most of them are responsible increase the probability of infection. More than 30 mutations of the Omicron variant take place on these proteins. So, it is a possibility to come from its ability to equivocate some immune responses, particularly in people who were preceded infected but not vaccinated.

Severity

Although the Omicron variant has now become the leading variant, in many countries, and is causing significant disease and deaths, perhaps to some extent lesser extended, than the previous variants.

ICU admittance, length of hospital stays, and death were the factors that lower than during the last pandemic peaks.

Does vaccination prevent the Omicron variant?

Getting immunization or vaccination and booster doses is the best protection against Omicron or BA.2.

The U.S endorsed a second booster dose/shot of mRNA vaccine for adults and older ones. But, adults who have been taking the Jhonson and Jhonson vaccine and booster doses gave the option of choosing a fourth dose/shot.

Beta variant

B1.351 and Beta variants were recognized in South Africa at the end of 2020 and then proliferate in other countries.

It circulated widely in Eastern France in the first month of 2021.

Proficient had been apprehension about its some mutations and its potential to elude the antibodies. The beta variant is not common in the U.S. so far. 

How contagious is the Beta variant?

The beta variant is probably more transmittable and virulent for vaccinated people who were infected with the original strain (COVID-19).

How much Beta variant severe?

Evidence suggested that the Beta variant may have been more prone than other variants to lead to hospitalization and casualties.

Does vaccination effective against the Beta 

variant? 

Most all the vaccines could not effective against the Beta variant.

But recently Pfizer-BioNTech has high efficacy against symptomatic infection of the Beta variant that is dominant in South Africa. In Qatar, after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech, it provided 75% protection against any documented infection with Beta and 97% against severe disease.

Jhonson and Jhonson vaccine clinical trial showed 65-66% protection against hospitalization, and 91-95% against mortality in South Africa, with similar efficacy observed in the United States.

South Africa bring to a standstill suggesting the AstraZeneca-Oxford (not more than 60%).

The finest fixation, to get protection in opposition to these variants are only to take defensive measures,  good enough indoor ventilation, avoid crowded places, wear a mask or veil, frequently wash your hands, avoid exposure to the virus, keep a physical distance of at least 1 meter, and yes, off course take the effective vaccine and booster shots available near the area you live.