The omicron mutant would affect the lungs less than other corona mutant , according to “Fam Actoyal”. What is stated in the latest studies on this topic?
As the Omicron mutant continues to advance, new studies indicate its danger. And a new study has just revealed that it may be less dangerous to the lungs than other mutants.
According to the first available data, the omicron mutant is more contagious but causes less severe forms of Covid-19. An English-language study, published on December 28, 2021 on the BioRXiv platform, shows that the mutant discovered in South Africa appears to be less harmful than others, especially to the lungs.
Mutant omicron affects the lungs less
To achieve this result, the scientists infected mice with several Covid-19 mutants, such as Delta or Omicron. The first results are clear: rodents contaminated with the South African species display a “lower respiratory viral load”.
So Omicron will be less harmful to the lungs than other types of Covid-19. “We have some studies showing that this variant multiplies a lot in the cells of the nose, not in the back of the body, the bronchi,” Sylvie Brian, director of the Epidemiological Risk Management Department at the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed to France Info.
Omicron is a “less virulent” type that spreads very quickly
According to her, this could explain why Omicron appears to be “less virulent” than other mutant. The English study also tends to this conclusion: mice contaminated with omicron actually show “less severe clinical signs” than those infected with other mutants.
So it appears that Omicron causes less severe forms of Covid-19. Two studies, one Scottish and one British, indicated that this mutation was associated with a “two-thirds reduction in the risk of hospitalization”. However, all of these findings should be taken with caution.
Sylvie Brian explains that Omicron is spreading very quickly According to data from Public Health France, more than 62% of positive Covid-19 tests showed a “profile compatible with the Omicron mutant” at the beginning of week 52 (from December 27, 2021 to 2 January 2022). Although it appears to cause some serious forms, the omicron mutant is considered dangerous, so health care professionals insist it’s important to receive a vaccine to protect against it.
