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Viruses are made up of proteins and are wrapped around genetic material (RNA or DNA). They can live and reproduce inside another living being. Viruses cannot multiply in the absence of their host, and many cannot survive in the extracellular environment for lengthy periods. The modifications are done by the virus in its genetic code lead to variations. These variations make the virus transmissible, virulent, or weak. The total set of genetic information of a virus is referred to as the genome. SARS CoV-2 is the virus responsible for Covid-19 disease. The genome of this virus is made up of 30000 letters of RNA. The changes occurring in the genetic makeup are referred to as mutation and when viruses get different genomic sequences as a result of mutation, it is termed a variant. Coronaviruses contain just RNA as their genetic material. When a virus infects a person, it attaches to their cells, enters them, and copies their RNA, allowing it to propagate. If a copying error occurs, the RNA is altered, resulting in mutations. Corona viruses are classified as either variation of concern or variants of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on their danger to public health. Concern variants have a negative impact on those who are infected. These variations have improved virulence and transmissibility.
The earliest of the most reported variations was Alpha (B.1.1.7). In November 2020, Alpha initially surfaced in the United Kingdom, and infections spiked in the same year in December. It quickly spread over the world and eventually became the most common variety in the United States, where the CDC designated it as a variant of concern. The symptoms associated are fever, cough, loss of smell or taste, fatigue, dyspnea, sore throat, muscle pain, diarrhea, etc. Vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson) are effective in combating this variant. They prevent hospitalization due to the severity of the above-discussed symptoms.
At the end of 2020, a beta variant was discovered in South Africa (Duong, 2021). Many countries got affected by this variant. Experts were concerned about its many mutations and the possibility of evading antibodies. In the United States, it did not affect many populations. According to the CDC, Beta was 50% more infectious than Alpha.
Since its initial occurrence in India in October, Delta Variant has spread to almost 100 nations, causing a rise in cases and hospitalizations, particularly in areas where less than half of the adult population has been properly vaccinated. Headache, throat irritation, and fever with the runny nose are some of its major symptoms. With Delta, persistent coughing and loss of taste and smell are less common. Unvaccinated people developed severe complications and it affected the young and adolescent population the most (Andrews et al., 2022). In infected respiratory tracts, this strain of the virus develops significantly faster and to much higher levels. More booster vaccines may be required, especially for susceptible groups including organ transplant patients and those over the age of 80, according to studies.
Omicron is the most recent variety to be designated as a Variant of Concern (Vitiello et al., 2022). It was originally discovered in South Africa, and instances were found in at least 30 countries by December 2021. Omicron's transmission rate is estimated to be three times that of the Delta version. Omicron may result in mild, moderate, or severe infection, as well as mortality. The vast majority of reported cases had mild to severe symptoms. The symptoms of Omicron are similar to those of preceding versions. Symptoms such as scratchy throat, body ache, weariness, dry cough, and night sweats have become more common.
References
Andrews, N., Stowe, J., Kirsebom, F., Toffa, S., Rickeard, T., Gallagher, E., ... & Lopez Bernal, J. (2022). Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron (B. 1.1. 529) variant. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(16), 1532-1546.
Duong D. (2021). Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma: What's important to know about SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern?. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 193(27), E1059–E1060. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1095949
Vitiello, A., Ferrara, F., Auti, A. M., Di Domenico, M., & Boccellino, M. (2022). Advances in the Omicron variant development. Journal of Internal Medicine.
