ACTIVE CASES IN INDIA
955,312
AVG. DAILY NEW CASES
150,307
OMICRON CASES AS % OF TOTAL
85%
DISTRICTS AFFECTED
300
DAILY POSITIVITY RATE
11%
GLOBAL ACTIVE CASES
46,787,902
Meet the new mutant Ninja variant: Omicron. The latest in the steadily growing variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Omicron shares traits with its cousins—Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta—but is also more evolved. Scientists have found 50 mutations in the Omicron avatar compared to 18 in Delta, of which a staggering 36 are found in the spike protein the virus uses to invade human cells. Many of these can overcome the fortifications provided by the new vaccines developed to combat Covid-19. That makes Omicron the most infectious of the coronavirus variants to have tormented the globe since December 2019. The only saving grace, if there is one, is that while it has spread more rapidly than its predecessors, it is less lethal (so far).
This story is from the January 24, 2022 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the January 24, 2022 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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