مقالات پذیرفته شده در هفتمین کنگره بین المللی زیست پزشکی
Omicron variant (B.1.1.529): Emergence, characteristics and prevention
Omicron variant (B.1.1.529): Emergence, characteristics and prevention
Fatemeh Mohaghegh,1,*
1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) has created a significant threat to global health and has attracted attention from all over the world since its outbreak. Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported to World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on November 24, 2021, recorded as Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), as a variant of concern (VOC). This variant harbors a large number of mutations particularly, in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike which is different from the previous VOC Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants. Therefore, it has raised global concerns about transmissibility, disease severity and immune evasion.
Methods: In this review, articles were searched from 2020 to 2023 in the Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus databases. In addition, Farsi and English keywords related to the aim of the study were used to search for articles. Finally, 30 articles were considered for the review.
Results: This review has focused on the emergence and characteristics of the Omicron variant, and possible strategies to prevent and overcome the prevalence of the Omicron variant.
Conclusion: There are many questions concerning Omicron strain, which is the most mutated strain that has emerged. Although it is possible that other strains may evolve after Omicron and make the epidemic control more complicated, fortunately, according to the past experiences, we can prevent the spread of other variants.