SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest

SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest (or variants of concern) are evolutionary offshoots in the SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree that are at least temporarily evolutionarily stable due to outcompeting other strains in their immediate geography.

The Greek alphabet is being used to name SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest.

https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/28/7/taab124/6346388

The omicron* strain of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in South Africa.

The first four cases of COVID-19 resulting from the Omicron variant in Botswana were reported to be in vaccinated individuals.

Geert Vanden Bossche predicts omicron will infect those with prior immunity from asymptomatic infections.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2021-11-26/who-meeting-amidst-rise-nu-variant-underscores-failed-vaccination-strategy

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).

Pulliam et al, 2021 claims increased risk of reinfection associated with Omicron in South Africa. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.11.21266068v2.full.pdf

Omicron was in California weeks ago, before officials raised alarms, water sample suggests https://greatgameindia.com/children-hospitalized-vietnam-vaccine/

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, 2021¹⁾ The “Look inside” feature reveals the book's apparent copyright date of 2020.²⁾

Find discussions on both sides.

An Emergency Room doctor told financial YouTuber Gregory Mannarino on air that he believes “all variants are likely caused by the vaccine.”³⁾

Niesen et al: vaccination dampens antigen mutational variance https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.01.21259833v1

Wang et al: Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 evolution revealing vaccine-resistant mutations in Europe and America. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34873910/