Amid the rising cases of COVID-19 across the world people have only one question in their minds that is when will the Covid-19 pandemic end? Well, this is such a question that everyone on the planet is looking for an answer to.
While for decades the virus stays active caused by a pandemic, herd immunity and stabilising of the virus through a less dangerous variant incline to bring an end to the pandemic. Though some researchers are now debating that is Omicron that variant of SARS-CoV-2 which begins the end game of Covid-19?
Since Omicron was detected in South Africa it has been said that it is the most infectious variant of COVID-19. It is causing bearable illness as compared to the prior dominant variants. Its transmissibility has made it an already most dominant variant in various countries. Hence for achieving herd immunity more people with immune systems should be trained to identify and neutralise the virus a key feature, which is a state of disease outbreak when the pathogen does not have enough ‘victims’ to target or fodder to devour. Though vaccination helps reach herd immunity faster say experts.
According to the studies conducted in South Africa which reported Omicron first to the World Health Organization (WHO) in mid-November last year, and where scientists have dedicated a huge amount of time and resources understanding the variant that bring cheer amid the coronavirus gloom.
n a South African laboratory study, researchers found those previously infected with the Delta variant could contract Omicron but those infected with the Omicron strain couldn’t be infected with Delta, especially if they were vaccinated. They published their study supported findings in samples from 23 people infected with the Omicron variant in November and December.
The study simply signals that the Omicron variant provided stronger immunity against other variants of SARS-CoV-2. Immunity is greater if the person is vaccinated.
Omicron’s transmissibility has made it an already most dominant variant in several countries.
The study was an update to one conducted last year. The combined results indicate that Omicron can displace Delta as the overarching variant and offer immunity from serious illness and breakthrough infection against the deadlier Delta variant, which brought towering tides of Covid-19 cases in 2021 and scarily pushed the price .
With the international focus on universal vaccination, the study offers a possibility of Covid-19 ending in the near future.
Another study and a much bigger one, conducted at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital Complex in South Africa gives an identical indication. The researchers analysed records of 466 patients from the Omicron wave and three ,976 from previous waves caused by other variants including Delta.
Based on the results, the researchers suggested that “omicron could also be a harbinger of the top of the epidemic phase of the Covid pandemic, introduction its endemic phase”.
These studies are, however, only indicative and conditional to the emergence of new variants. If Omicron turns out to be the most stabilising and replacement variant for previously existing ones, it could be the “harbinger of the end” of the Covid-19 pandemic.