The "Omicron" mutant eludes the immune system

 As COVID-19 approaches its fourth year, Omicron continues to mutate and elude the immune system, according to health experts. "Omicron shows a greater ability to escape the immune system. It is the latest variant of concern in terms of its transmissibility compared to all other variants," said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and technical officer for combating Covid-19 at the World Health Organization, last Wednesday.

The United Nations organization confirmed that the spread of new waves of "Omicron" will depend on several factors such as the immune status of communities, the rate of vaccination against Covid-19, and the nature of the mutations that occur in the virus.

What is a mutation?

Mutation is a change in the genetic code of the COVID-19 virus. Some mutations have no effect, while others lead to changes in proteins, which can be beneficial to the virus by making it more transmissible from person to person.

The mutation may be harmful to the virus if the immune system gains an advantage over the pathogen.

The World Health Organization has detected about 540 "omicron" mutations, but only 5 are "under watch" for changes such as mutations or a higher prevalence rate, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation website reported.

Mutations of concern show one or more traits compared to the original or ancestral version of the virus:

It spreads more easily.

It causes more severe disease.

Overcoming current vaccines or treatments.

Doctors and scientists are watching for mutations in the virus's protein, which is used to latch onto and invade our cells. The genetic sequencing data also indicates that the more immune-evasive variants are on the increase, while the BA.5 strain that dominated in summer is decreasing.