Editorial: Recently Discovered Omicron: Fifth Wave of Pandemic in Pakistan. What Strategies Can be adopted to Control its Spread?

Abstract

Since November 24, 2021, we are hearing about a new SARS CoV-2 Variant of Concern (VOC) with 50 mutations (30 important) in Spike Proteins.  “Omicron” is the name given to it by WHO. Literally little “O” is the 16^th letter of Greek and B.1.1.529 is the name of the variant first detected in South Africa, Botswana, in HIV Patients.¹ Although, WHO first reported this variant of SARS- CoV-2 on November 24, 2021, but originally it was reported in a specimen collected from a patient suffering from AIDS on November 9, 2021, in South Africa. There is a lot of concern about more than 50 mutations in the new SARS-COV-2 variant. The world is still waiting if it is more contagious, deadly, and will escape our existing immunity due to previous infection or vaccines.^1-2

It is believed that this new SARS-CoV-2 variant will spread all over the world very soon. It is likely that the virus may also reach Pakistan in near future.  WHO has learnt some lessons from the previous experience of SARS- CoV-2; therefore, they are alert and vigilant to face the consequence of this new variant’s spread...............................................