Table of Contents
SARS-CoV-Omicron
The omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified and sequenced in South Africa. Omicron was first reported to the WHO on November 24, 2021, which classified it as a “variant of concern” two days later. 1) However, genetic features of omicron suggest that it branched from SARS-CoV-2 well prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a debate regarding origins and the significance of the omicron strain. This distance in lineage may explain why there appears to be a greater risk of reinfection associated with omicron.2)
Early interviews with physicians treating patients infected with omicron suggest that omicron presents with symptoms more ordinarily associated with the common cold.3) Early research uploaded to a preprint server at the beginning of December, 2021 indicates that omicron is associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, and there is hope that risks of hospitalization and death are low.4)
During the omicron-driven case wave in the U.S. during December 2021 and January 2022, wastewater surveillance suggested greater case undercounting than usual.5)
- Geert Vanden Bossche predicts omicron will infect those with prior immunity from asymptomatic infections.
- Nov 26, 2021 ZeroHedge: WHO Meeting Amidst the Rise of the Nu Variant Underscores Failing Vaccination Strategy
- Dec 21, 2021 Jean-Pierre Kiekens of COVEXIT: Dr. Shankara Chetty Interview: All You Need to Know about the Omicron variant.
Omicron Infection Characteristics
SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron: The Phylogenetic Tree
Since early after discovery of the SARS-Omicron virus, researchers have noted substantial divergence from the SARS-CoV-2 genetic lineage, including the fractal meta-structure.6)
Symptomatic Divergence
With respect to variants, the omicron symptom distribution expresses differently. Symptoms such as loss of smell/taste, irritation of the eyes, sneezing, and runny nose are less prevalent; Sore throats are much more prevalent, with fever and coughing somewhat more prevalent.7)
Antibody Escape
One of the most disturbing features of the omicron strain is that it contains many mutations, located primarily in the spike protein, that seem to promote antibody escape.8)
Questions about Omicron Spread and Surveillance
Much of the research and surveillance regarding the omicron variant relies on proxy methods of detection where ordinary sequencing techniques are available and would suffice.
- Jan 11, 2022 - Lewnard et al (preprint) examines clinical outcomes of patients presumably infected with omicron from November 30, 2021 to January 1, 2022, but uses S gene target failure (SGTF) as a proxy for sequencing/identification leaving open the possibility of inclusion of other pathogens or variants.9)
Reproduction Number (R_t)
While claims of extremely high values of R have been attached to omicron, retrospective analysis of cases in South Africa showed R peaking at less than 3 during the Summer wave in November before stabilizing at 1 prior to the end of the month.10)
Questions about the Origin of Omicron
It has been reported that the first four cases of COVID-19 resulting from the Omicron variant in Botswana were reported to be in vaccinated individuals.
Omicron was in California weeks ago, before officials raised alarms, water sample suggests https://greatgameindia.com/children-hospitalized-vietnam-vaccine/
Mathew Crawford, in his Substack “Rounding the Earth”, has described the appearances of Omicron around the world and offers hypotheses about its occurrence:
https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/the-omicron-hypothesis-part-1?s=r https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/the-omicron-hypothesis-part-2?s=r https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/the-omicron-hypothesis-part-3?s=r https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/the-omicron-hypothesis-part-4?s=r https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/the-omicron-hypothesis-part-5-kids?s=r
Mouse Model Theory
On December 29, 2021, a paper in preprint purported to demonstrate that the omicron causes less infection and associated disease in mice and hamsters.11)
Lab Leak Theory
- Dec 20, 2021 Eugyppius: The phylogenetic tree of SARS-CoV-2 variants places Omicron branching far back in lineage, indicating the possibility that it was leaked from a lab.
Omicron and Immunity
While those who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 have seen greater rates of reinfection by SARS-omicron strains, some researchers believe that recovery from omicron confers immunity to SARS-CoV-2 strains.12)
However, as new “sub-variants” of SARS-Omicron allegedly emerged through the first half of 2022, mainstream reporting warned that everyone was likely to be reinfected regardless of vaccination or prior infection status.13)
Questions About Vaccine Efficacy
In January of 2022, Bill Gates spoke saying that the COVID-19 vaccines were not durable and that Omicron might turn the COVID-19 endemic.14) December 13, 2021, TruthJournalist reports that the CDC released a report showing 79% of Omicron COVID-19 cases were among the fully vaccinated who made up less than 60% of the U.S. population, suggesting an odds ratio between 2.5 and 3 (that those vaccinated were more likely to get sick from Omicron than the rest of the population). Dec 24, 2021 97% of hospitalized at Delhi hospital are fully vaccinated. Dec 26, 2021 - In Denmark, the vaccinated are more likely to catch omicron.15) Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says that an omicron-specific vaccine would be ready in March, 2022.((January 10, 2022 | Interview at Yahoo Finance | Pfizer CEO: New COVID-19 vaccine that covers Omicron ‘will be ready in March')) However, weeks later, such vaccines were not ready.
Absurdities of Omicron
It took two days to invent an mRNA vaccine, but after months of omicron ravaging the world, we don't seem to have an omicron vaccine. Huh.
An enigmatic book titled “UNDERSTANDING OMICRON VARIANT: All You Need To Know About Omicron Variant, Where It Comes From, Answers To Questions You Have, And Lots More Update To Keep You Well Informed” (sic) appeared on Amazon with a publication date of December 5, 202116) The “Look inside” feature reveals the book's apparent copyright date of 2020.17) While this edition was sold out, the author luckily had re-released the book 11 days later with a new cover. The sole available paperback copy is owned by Liam Sturgess.18)
December 13, 2021, saw reports of the first death with Omicron in the UK19), or possibly from Omicron,20) nobody knows.
Then 'John' called into an LBC Radio phone-in programme to clear up the confusion, saying the victim was his stepfather, a recluse in his 70s who was, nevertheless, fighting fit, though he did believe in conspiracy theories, and that's why he'd refused to be vaccinated. The gentleman died in hospital in Northampton. Sadly, such is the state of journalism in this country, no-one thought to check if 'John' was for real, and no-one thought to check in with the hospital. Which forced the hospital trust to go on record to say that “The NHS system in Northamptonshire has not recorded an Omicron-related death at this time”.21)
On July 15, 2022, Vox published an article with the headline, “Why BA.5 is cause for concern, but not alarm. Yet.”22)
- A pre-print study found that “two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to protect against infection by Omicron. A third dose provides some protection in the immediate term, but substantially less than against Delta.”((Buchan, S. A., Chung, H., Brown, K. A., Austin, P. C., Fell, D. B., Gubbay, J. B., Nasreen, S., Schwartz, K. L., Sundaram, M. E., Tadrous, M., Wilson, K., Wilson, S. E., & Kwong, J. C. (2022). Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against Omicron or Delta infection. medRxiv. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.30.21268565
