The ever-growing threat of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has health officials concerned now that it’s been detected in the United States. The variant has not been discovered in Alaska yet, but the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services continues to look for variants through sequencing the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome from positive cases and monitoring new developments closely.
Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink explains why the Omicron variant has health officials around the world concerned (the quote references the image above):
“This is the sequencing of the spike protein. The spike protein is what is used by this virus to enter into your cells and by inhibiting the spike protein, we help to protect ourselves and help make us less sick. It’s what our vaccines are targeted against. Many of our monoclonal antibodies are targeted against the spike protein. You can see back in December that the genetic sequencing that the spike protein that looked pretty similar. Over time, we started to see numerous variants and numerous mutations in the spike protein. Here you can see the changes in the alpha, you can see the delta, you can see the gamma variant, these different changes of variants of concern. When they sequenced this specific one, they saw that there was a whole lot of changes, many more changes than they saw in the previous different variants for the spike. Because of these large changes in our main target, both from monoclonals as well as vaccines, and the main way it enters our cells, this is why it’s a variant of concern, kind of big changes there. We’ll have to continue to follow it. There’s a lot of studies going on right now to try to better understand our treatments and vaccines and how well they work.”
Dr. Zink says that early data suggests that Omicron is very transmissible as early cases were reported in both people who had previously been infected as well as those who had been vaccinated. Zink says that, despite Alaskans being tired of COVID-19, this new variant may make it harder to slow down. What’s more surprising is the fact that there are more than 50 mutations in this variant, she says, some familiar and some not seen before.
Zink encourages Alaskans to get vaccinated if they have not done so. She says if you are 18 and older and it has been more than six months since your second dose of the mRNA vaccine or two months since a J&J vaccine, to get a booster for added protection.
