1- Monday Antimicrobial Resistance News – 6th December

1 – Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern

• The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021.
• The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterized by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant. In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant.
• The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021.
• This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning.
• Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other V
• OCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.
• This variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.

Source: WHO

2 – Q&A: Imperial experts discuss new variant B.1.1.529

• A new COVID-19 variant has received widespread media coverage due to fears that it could be more transmissible and make vaccines less effective.
• It contains an unusually high number of mutations, particularly in the spike protein – the part of the virus that is targeted by most vaccines.
• The variant – known as B.1.1.529 or the Omicron variant – has been found in South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel, and has prompted the UK government to add six countries in Africa to its travel red list.
• The B.1.1.529 variant has an unprecedented number of mutations in the Spike protein gene, the protein which is the target of most vaccines.
• There is therefore a concern that this variant may have a greater potential to escape prior immunity than previous variants.

Source: Imperial College London

3 – Omicron variant unlikely to reboot Covid in UK, expert says

• The Omicron Covid variant is unlikely to “reboot” the pandemic in a population that has been widely vaccinated, according to a UK expert who voiced cautious optimism that existing vaccines would prevent serious disease.
• Scientists have expressed alarm about the B.1.1.529 variant, first identified in Gauteng in South Africa, over its high number of mutations.
• Omicron has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein – more than double the number carried by the Delta variant.
• However, Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the location of the mutations meant vaccines may still be effective.

Source: The Guardian

4- World is put on high alert over the Omicron coronavirus variant

• As fears mount over the newly identified coronavirus variant Omicron, governments around the world are scrambling to protect their citizens from a potential outbreak.
• The new mutation, which is potentially more transmissible, was first discovered in South Africa and has since been detected in Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic and Hong Kong.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) said late on Friday that early evidence suggest the Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, could pose an increased risk of reinfection and said that some of the mutations detected on the variant were concerning.

Source: CNN

5 – Scientists warn of new Covid variant with high number of mutations

• Scientists have said a new Covid variant that carries an “extremely high number” of mutations may drive further waves of disease by evading the body’s defences.
• Only 10 cases in three countries have been confirmed by genomic sequencing, but the variant has sparked serious concern among some researchers because a number of the mutations may help the virus evade immunity.
• The B.1.1.529 variant has 32 mutations in the spike protein, the part of the virus that most vaccines use to prime the immune system against Covid.
• Mutations in the spike protein can affect the virus’s ability to infect cells and spread, but also make it harder for immune cells to attack the pathogen.

Source: The Guardian

6 – C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin-6, and Procalcitonin in Diagnosis of Late-Onset Bloodstream Infection in Very Preterm Infants

• Late-onset bloodstream infection (LOBSI) is common in very preterm infants. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for prognosis and outcome.
• This study aimed to analyze the accuracy of routinely used inflammatory biomarkers in the diagnosis of LOBSI as compared to uninfected controls.
• The combination of IL-6 and CRP seems to have great potential in routine rapid diagnosis of LOBSI development.
• High negative predictive value of all tested markers could encourage the early discontinuation of antibiotic treatment.

Source: Oxford Academic

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