Résumé
The SARS-CoV-2 mutations that have occurred have alarmed the entire medical community. Thus, global concerns have been expressed regarding the transmission, pathogenicity and immune evasion of the Omicron strain, which shares mutations with the variants of concern Alpha, Beta, and Gamma strains. Still, Omicron transmission has crossed numerous borders worldwide compared to other types of SARS-CoV-2. The number of confirmed cases has increased and is reappearing in India. Given the worrisome situation created by the Omicron outbreak, scientists and postgraduates have had to make decisions about current research programs at institutions around the globe. The Omicron variants under development have significantly heightened worldwide pandemic concerns. In this review, the authors will outline the molecular features and efficacy of vaccination, highlight possible omicron impacts on scientific research, and provide precautions, procedural guidelines for organizing scientific meetings during a pandemic.
Résumé
Although most COVID-19 cases have occurred in low-resource countries, there is scarce information on the epidemiology of the disease in such settings. Comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 testing and contact-tracing data from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh reveal stark contrasts from epidemics affecting high-income countries, with 92.1% of cases and 59.7% of deaths occurring among individuals <65 years old. The per-contact risk of infection is 9.0% (95% confidence interval: 7.5-10.5%) in the household and 2.6% (1.6-3.9%) in the community. Superspreading plays a prominent role in transmission, with 5.4% of cases accounting for 80% of infected contacts. The case-fatality ratio is 1.3% (1.0-1.6%), and median time-to-death is 5 days from testing. Primary data are urgently needed from low- and middle-income countries to guide locally-appropriate control measures.