Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know

THE OMICRON VARIANT

Omicron is a new variant of the covid-19 virus that was first identified in South Africa on the 9th of November, 2021. Other variants include the Alpha and Beta variant which were first sequenced in Britain and South Africa respectively.

Please note that a disease variant is simply a muted form of the initially discovered disease and not an entirely different disease entity.

Since its announcement, omicron has been a source of concern because it has more mutations when compared to other identified variants; this could make it potentially more dangerous. Although scientists are yet to find out how dangerous or transmissible it is, it is best to take all necessary precautions while remaining calm.

How do I protect myself and those around me?

Like it was stated earlier in this article, omicron is another form of covid-19 so the same preventive measures should be applied. These include;

• Maintaining social distance
• Using of face masks
• Wash your hands with soap and water
• Use an alcohol based sanitizer when soap or water is not available
• Get vaccinated
• Inform your doctor early if you or anyone around you is having symptoms of covid-19.

Will the vaccine protect against this new variant?

This is not yet known, research is still being done on this variant but it is safer to get the vaccine. Please note that the covid-19 vaccine does not prevent getting infected with the virus, it only gives protection against severe disease thereby improving the prognosis. It is more advantageous to take the vaccine together with other protective measures like social distancing, using of facemasks and hand washing as it reduces the likelihood of contracting the disease