Therapeutic strategies encompassing monoclonal antibodies and vaccines to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant amongst European children

ABSTRACT

Omicron is a notable B.1.1.529 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) comprising 50 gene mutations in total, within which 32 gene mutations were recorded on spike 1 (S1) protein. Omicron beholding higher gene mutations than other prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including the Delta-SARS-CoV-2 variant, exhibited the highest transmission efficacy. About 2152 individuals from 57 countries contracted Omicron in the shortest interval of two weeks proclaiming the variant to be the most contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant amongst all other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. The first Omicron contracted patient was diagnosed on 24 November 2021 in South Africa, and the South African population was infected presenting these health ailments sore throat, headache, body pain, and mild to severe fatigue commonly witnessed among children and adults. In Germany, together with aged people with co-morbidities and young adults, children of 0-4 yrs and 5-14 yrs were profusely affected by Omicron. Omicron contracted Swedish children showed moderate to severe convulsions as adverse symptoms. In the UK, Omicron positive children in higher numbers were examined and treated under hospital care with ventilators and oxygen cylinders. This narrative insight review illustrates the distinct virulence characteristics of Omicron in evading the human-host neutralizing antibodies action in both SARS-CoV-2 convalescent individuals and immunized population in the context of its outbreak in European children. Moreover, the effect of monoclonal antibodies and the appropriate therapeutic dosage of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and the common pediatric vaccines that finds promising to tackle Omicron outbreaks in children across Europe have been unveiled in the review.