It is like a greatest hits compilation that absolutely nobody wanted. The Omicron variant of coronavirus, first identified by scientists in South Africa, features an unhappy supergroup of mutations that have been variously seen in Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, four earlier “variants of concern”.
Of Omicron’s 50 mutations, more than 30 are on the spike protein, the molecular “key” the pandemic virus employs to enter and infect cells. The unprecedented number of mutations is a cause for concern rather than panic. Only time will tell whether the latest variant, identified in several countries in southern Africa and now known to be present elsewhere, will turn out to be inherently more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade immunity conferred by current vaccines — or perhaps all three.
Yesterday, Israel’s health minister, Nitzan Horowitz, told The Jerusalem Post there was “room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with a vaccine still valid or with a booster will also be protected from this variant”. An Israeli television channel broadcast unverified claims yesterday that the Pfizer vaccine was still highly effective at stopping infection with the Omicron variant and preventing severe symptoms. A firm conclusion would be surprising given that Israel has recorded only a handful of Omicron cases so far.