Solid data confirms Omicron's high immune escape potential: Report

New Delhi: The Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INSACOG) reported on Wednesday that reliable experimental data is available that infers Omicron has immense potential to escape immunity, but the severity is lower than previous variants, The Wire reported.

In its bulletin, INSACOG asserted that proper public health measures and investigations are done in India on surveillance of Omicron but added that the vaccines or previous infection are not effective enough against symptomatic Omicron infection, even globally. Though Delta remains the dominant variant worldwide, Omicron has completely displaced it in Southern Africa, INSACOG said. It cited global data and said the higher immune escape potential gives Omicron an advantage over Delta. Though chances for severe disease are lower, the Omicron is still considered an enormous threat.

INSACOG works on genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in India. It sequences samples from sites flagged with the virus and conducts detailed state-wise district analysis for specific states. So far, India has reported more than 900 cases of Omicron infection across 21 states and union territories.

Meanwhile, Singapore based experts have warned that Omicron might displace Delta to become the dominant global variant in the coming weeks. They said that the variant is adapting well and has a reproductive advantage. Omicron is already the prevalent variant in Australia, Russia and the United Kingdom, apart from South Africa.

Omicron was first detected in South Africa on November 11 and was found later in Botswana in Hong Kong. The variant spread over 110 plus countries after that. As per global evidence, the variant is heavily contagious but causes less severe disease than Delta.