Omicron covid variant

The study analysed the IgG and neutralising antibodies (NAbs) against B.1, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants with the sera of individuals infected with the Omicron variant (B.1.1529 and BA.1). It suggests that the immune response induced by the Omicron could effectively neutralise the Delta variant, making re-infection with Delta variant less likely and displacing this varaint as the dominant strain.

The national capital on Sunday reported 9,197 fresh Covid-19 cases, first time below 10,000 since the third wave started in the city. Delhi recorded 5,481 Covid cases on January 4 and since then cases kept rising. The fresh Covid infections have pushed the tally to 17,91,711. In the same time span, 34 deaths have also been reported, pushing the death toll to 25,620.

Covid's Omicron variant is now in community transmission stage in India, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said in its latest bulletin on Sunday, noting become dominant in multiple metros, where new cases have been rising exponentially. The centre's genome sequencing body has also said that an infectious sub-variant of Omicron BA.2 lineage has been reported in a considerable fraction in India.

The INSACOG reports genomic surveillance of SARS CoV-2 across the country through sequencing of samples from Sentinel sites and also detailed State wise district analysis for some states.

Published in the Science journal, the analysis which is done at near-atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy, reveals how the heavily mutated Omicron variant attaches to and infects human cells.

Marginal growth in fresh Covid cases was at 13,785, while there were 35 fresh deaths, down from 38 the previous day. The positivity rate was at 23.86 percent, while active cases have declined to 75,282 as per the Delhi Health Department.

Amid an ongoing resurgence across the world, the global coronavirus caseload has topped 333.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.55 million and vaccinations to over 9.68 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Healthcare led with the highest intent to hire on account of staff shortage amidst rising Covid numbers, according to Monster Employment Index.

In the same time span, 31 deaths have also been reported, pushing the death toll to 25,271. Meanwhile, the positivity rate mounted to 29.21 per cent, highest since May 3. The infection rate was 29.55 per cent on May 3, as per the health department. The active Covid cases have climbed to 94,160, highest since May 1. According to the Health Department, Delhi had recorded the highest 96,747 active Covid cases on May 1, 2021.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long Covid "is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 or can appear weeks after infection. Long Covid can happen to anyone who has had Covid-19, even if their illness was mild, or if they had no symptoms". More than 50 long-term effects of Covid-19 have been detected. But the most common symptoms reported by Covid survivors four to 12 weeks after acute infection are headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance, concentration difficulties and abdominal pain.