Omicron variants of the SARS-COV-2: A potentially significant threat in a new wave of infections.

Abstract

From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a huge challenge and burden for medical services. Currently, humanity is dealing with a new wave of the virus that has evolved and presents a new challenge, mainly due to its ability to avoid immune surveillance. Indeed, our main line of defense — vaccines — may be compromised. Omicron variants are characterized by an evolutionary force unprecedented so far. Among the several sublines that have already emerged, the BA.5 strain exhibit higher transmissibility and demonstrates a worrisome immune evasion. According to several laboratory investigations, vaccination induced antibodies are less successful at preventing BA.4/5 strains infection as opposed to the infections following BA.1/BA.2 strains exposure. The hyper contagious BA.5 variant is mainly responsible for the rise in hospital and intensive care unit utilization we are facing in the current times. Within a few months, BA.5 outperformed its forerunners and became the dominant strain in the United States (US). According to the most recent statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this subvariant was responsible for nearly 2 out of every 3 new COVID-19 infections in the US (3.07.2022–9.07.2022)