Omnicron more transmissible, could escape immunity: Dr Gagandeep Kang | Exclusive
- 2 years ago
With the World Health Organization (WHO) designating the B.1.1529 variant of coronavirus as a 'variant of concern,' India's top microbiologist and virologist, Gagandeep Kang, told India Today that the new Covid strain could be more transmissible and immune-evasive.
She also stated that the new variant, dubbed 'Omicron' by WHO, could be more transmissible and has the potential to spread to many other countries.
"We've had a good sense of the sequence data since the first identification on November 9," she said.
"Unlike the previously observed constellations, we know that this is a mutant strain. So there's a chance it'll spread more easily, and there's also a chance it'll be able to evade immune responses," Dr Kang added.
She also stated that the new variant, dubbed 'Omicron' by WHO, could be more transmissible and has the potential to spread to many other countries.
"We've had a good sense of the sequence data since the first identification on November 9," she said.
"Unlike the previously observed constellations, we know that this is a mutant strain. So there's a chance it'll spread more easily, and there's also a chance it'll be able to evade immune responses," Dr Kang added.