Medical News Archives -

WHO Says Omicron Sub-Variant BA.2 Could be More Infectious

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 09:24:48 +0000

The Buyt Desk

A sub-lineage of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 virus strain which is highly contagious than the original has been detected in 57 countries.

The Omicron name was given to the lineage of SARS-CoV-2 virus B.1.1.529 once it was considered as a variant of concern. Research showed that this lineage has a little deviation of its own, and these variants were named B.1.1.529.1, B.1.1.529.2, and B.1.1.529.3. These sub-lineages were later re-classified for ease of usage as BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3.

Till now, the Omicron sub-variant BA.1 is most common in circulation. Even now the scenario is the same, but the BA.2 variant proportion is on the rise. As per the WHO findings, based on Omicron genetic sequences submitted in global databases, 98.8 % was BA.1 variety till January 25, 2022. BA.2 has most of the characteristics of BA.1 and has more mutations compared to BA.1 that can give it a distinctive characteristic. This makes BA.2 more contagious than the original strain which is BA.1. Also, a new study has revealed that BA.2 is better at infecting the vaccinated as compared to BA.1. This new variant is detected globally in 54 countries. It is most likely that it has driven the third COVID wave in some Indian states including Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka.

At what rate does the BA.2 sub-variant spread?

BA.2 was first detected in Denmark and many studies were conducted on this new variant. An analysis was done on the data gathered in December and January from 8,541 households in Denmark. This revealed that the dominant strain is the new sub-variant. Also says that on the whole 39% is the secondary attack rate in BA.2 infected families compared to 29% in BA.1 infected families. Other than Denmark, the sub-variant is already dominant in the Philippines, Nepal, Qatar and India. BA.2 sub-variant is swiftly replacing BA.1.

Can vaccines protect you?

The UK Health Security Agency says that household transmission among contacts of people infected with BA.2 is higher compared with other Omicron cases, approximately 3% higher. The Danish researchers have proof to support that the sub-variant BA.2 has immune evasive properties. The health officials have said, “When comparing BA.2 relative to BA.1 infected households, there was an increased risk of infection in BA.2 infected households regardless of the vaccination status of the potential secondary case, indicating inherent increased transmissibility of the BA.2 sub-variant”. The data collected says that

Unvaccinated BA.2 infected primary individuals transmit the infection to a higher degree than BA.1 infected primary individuals, to both vaccinated and booster-vaccinated household members.
A vaccinated individual infected with BA.2 transmit less than a vaccinated individual infected with BA.1.

Can one infected by BA.1 earlier be re-infected by BA.2?

The study on data collected suggests that mild cases of BA.1 may not provide good protection against future infections. The milder cases of omicron infection in vaccinated individuals may leave the recovered vulnerable to future and existing variants. The studies conducted in the University of California, San Francisco says that the antibodies production in infected individuals is proportional to the severity of the illness.

WHO on sub-variant BA.2

Maria Van Kerkhove who is one of the WHO’s top experts on the current pandemic, held a press meet on February 1st, 2022 to share information about the sub-variant BA.2. She said that with some initial limited data it is inferred that BA.2 had “a slight increase in growth rate over BA.1”. She also said that the coronavirus variant Omicron is known to cause less severe disease compared to previous variants like Delta. She said with respect to the BA.2 sub-variant so far there is “no indication that there is a change in severity”. She emphasized that COVID has always been a risky disease and people should be careful and avoid the spread. She said, “We need people to be aware that this virus is continuing to circulate and it’s continuing to evolve. It’s really important that we take measures to reduce our exposure to this virus, whichever variant is circulating.”

Regarding the sub-variant of Omicron BA.2, World Health Organization chief, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus clearly emphasized the necessity for continuous tracking of emerging variants, he said, “This virus will continue to evolve, which is why we call on countries to continue testing, surveillance and sequencing”. He also mentioned that in just 10 weeks, since Omicron was first detected in southern Africa, more than 90 million cases have been reported to the WHO. This number accounts for more than cases of 2020 put together. He stressed that considering the new COVID variant is milder but “we are now starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths in most regions of the world.”

Mask up and stay safe.

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Fighting Coronavirus, Boosting Immunity: Myths & Facts

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:51:34 +0000

By Shweta Khanna

India is land of home remedies. We have faith in our spices, herbs, fruits, and flowers. The concoctions that we make are promising to fight the changing weather, primary cough and cold, nourish our hair and skin. While these ‘Nani aur Daadi ke nuskhe’ can do all that for sure, they cannot cure diseases, and overdose of certain things can be harmful too. Let us look at the three most common myths doing rounds in our fight against coronavirus.

Turmeric and lemon in warm water can help you fight corona: Lots of posts shared on social media claim that the easiest way to stay away from coronavirus infection is to keep drinking turmeric and lemon in warm water. The Ayush ministry and a lot of fact-checks done on post tell us that there is no evidence to prove that this drink can keep you protected from corona infection. Ayush Ministry says, “turmeric has suitable antiviral property, and lemon has lots of vitamins. Both help in boosting immunity. But there is no evidence that these can fight against coronavirus.”

Black pepper, turmeric with honey in water can fight corona: It has been over six months of dealing with this pandemic, new symptoms are emerging, the tests are on for a vaccine, but one thing that hasn’t stopped is the circulation of myths. One Facebook post claimed that a boy in Pondicherry had found a perfect cure for corona. Mixing black pepper, turmeric, and honey may help you fight a nasty bout of cold; there is no claim that this home remedy can cure COVID-19. Also, one should keep in mind that coronavirus infection hits people differently. While some might have a mild infection; some can have severe symptoms. A simple home remedy can’t “Cure” it all.

Pranayama and stopping your breath for 10 seconds: While pranayama is an effective form of yoga for improving your breathing. It makes your lungs healthy, makes you more aware and mindful because yoga is all about concentration. There is no evidence today or historically defining it as a cure for any disease. Once ill, you should first have medicine, regain some strength and then practice yoga. It can help you physically improve and mentally stay relaxed.

Similarly, holding your breath is just another way of strengthening your lung function. It cannot test if you have COVID or not. An average human being can hold the breath for anywhere between 30sec to 2min. Holding your breath for more than 30sec is not advisable unless underwater, as it could have some harmful effects.

For those who have a bent towards allopathic medicine are consuming multivitamins to boost immunity. But would that help? Are you consuming more than required in fear of pandemic?

Eating Multivitamins to boost your immunity: Doctors prescribe multivitamins to people who suffer from certain deficiencies. Having Multivitamins is required when daily food intake is not sufficient to provide the desired amount. Vitamin C and Zinc the two micronutrients in demand and believed to be fighting COVID are essential for the body to function, but an extra dose of these won’t help you prevent anything. There are enough food sources which provide these two, and in India, deficiency of vitamin c and zinc is not common.

So, the question now is what can help you improve your immune system. The Harvard health portal gives us some essential tips to keep ourselves healthy and away from infection.

Take steps to avoid infection, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask if suffering from cold and cough and cook meats thoroughly.
Stay up to date with recommended immunizations.
Don’t smoke.
Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Restrict saturated fats and sugars to 10% of total calories.
Minimize consumption of red and processed meats.
Exercise regularly. Try to get 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Control your blood pressure.
If you drink alcohol, do so only in moderation.
Get adequate sleep.
Get regular medical screening tests prescribed for people in your age group and risk category.

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