The World Health Organization recently categorized a new COVID-19 variant, called omicron, as a. This classification is given either because of an increase in transmissibility, an increase in disease severity or a decrease in vaccine or treatment effectiveness.
The of the COVID-19 omicron variant was identified on Wednesday in a person who traveled from South Africa.
Pathologists across the country, including UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, are monitoring the new variant鈥檚 trajectory closely.What鈥檚 significant about the new COVID-19 variant omicron
Jeffrey SoRelle, an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at the medical center, has tested for and tracked the virus in North Texas since the beginning of the pandemic. He said the most significant thing about omicron is the number of mutations in the spike protein, the part of the virus that鈥檚 targeted by vaccines and people鈥檚 immune responses.
鈥淭he previous variants had around six to eight mutations in the spike protein, and that was considered to be higher than normal,鈥� SoRelle said. 鈥淭his one has over 30.鈥�
He said it鈥檚 notable because the amount of mutations jumped to a much higher number. This also could mean omicron COVID-19 is more transmissible than other variants, but SoRelle said there鈥檚 not a lot of data on other factors such as illness severity or hospitalization.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some aspects of the characteristics of the virus that are concerning, but as the virus adapts, so does our immune system,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's also very good at adapting and recognizing multiple things that look similar and protecting us.鈥�
He said with wider access to COVID-19 vaccines for kids and adults, along with booster shots approved for the general population, there鈥檚 鈥渓ess reason to be freaked out鈥� by a new variant.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good to keep some perspective,鈥� SoRelle said. The last two surges caused by the delta variant were bad, but 鈥渢he worst was in January, after the holidays when we didn鈥檛 have vaccines.鈥�
Even with previous immune resistant strains, like beta, SoRelle said vaccines were still effective.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 hard for people is the unknown.鈥�
SoRelle said it鈥檚 going to take time to collect data on how omicron might affect people. Scientists from South Africa first reported omicron to the World Health Organization on Nov. 24, and cases of the variant are.
Just because it might spread more quickly, doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean it鈥檚 more severe, cautioned SoRelle. It took a few months to determine how the delta variant might affect people when it started appearing in the United States earlier this year.
鈥淭hat's what's hard for people鈥攖he unknown,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd waiting to find that information out.鈥�
While there are no reported cases of omicron in Texas yet, SoRelle said it鈥檚 a matter of time.
鈥淲e've seen every variant of concern that's come up here in Dallas, Texas, just at UT Southwestern, and we're only sampling our patients at our hospital,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would say we're likely to see it before Christmas time.鈥�
In the meantime, he and other medical officials at UT Southwestern will use virus sequencing techniques and rapid PCR tests to identify omicron and any other variants.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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