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First image of Omicron shows many more mutations than Delta

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="COVID-19 Delta and Omicron variants (AFP/Laurence Saubadu" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/overseas/11/29/omicron-variant.jpg"/><figcaption>COVID-19 Delta and Omicron variants (AFP/Laurence Saubadu</figcaption></figure></div><p>The new COVID variant Omicron has many more mutations than the Delta variant, according to a first &quot;image&quot; of this new variant initially detected in South Africa, produced and published by the prestigious Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome.</p><p>On the three-dimensional &quot;image,&quot; which looks like a map, &quot;we can clearly see that the Omicron variant presents many more mutations than the Delta variant, concentrated above all in one area of the protein that interacts with human cells&quot;, the team of researchers said in a statement Sunday.</p><p>&quot;This does not automatically mean that these variations are more dangerous, just that the virus has further adapted to the human species by generating another variant,&quot; the researchers said.</p><p>&quot;Other studies will tell us if this adaptation is neutral, less dangerous or more dangerous,&quot; they added.</p><p>The research team focused on the search for mutations in &quot;the three-dimensional structure of the spike protein,&quot; Claudia Alteri, professor of clinical microbiology at Milan State University and a researcher at Bambino Gesu, told AFP.</p><p>The image was produced &quot;from the study of the sequences of this new variant made available to the scientific community&quot; coming mainly &quot;from Botswana, South Africa, and Hong Kong.&quot;</p><p>&quot;This image, which represents a map of all the variations, describes the mutations of Omicron but does not define its role,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;It will now be important to define through laboratory experiments whether the combination of these mutations can have an impact on transmission or on the effectiveness of vaccines, for example,&quot; she added.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1843935" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The new COVID variant Omicron has many more mutations than the Delta variant, according to a first 'image' of this new variant initially detected in South Africa, produced and published by the prestigious Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome.