Omicron Q&A: Everything you need to know about the new Covid variant

The new Covid-19 variant known as Omicron has been confirmed in Australia, in travellers who landed in Sydney on Saturday night. From its origin to its spread, and the impact on vaccine delivery, this is every thing you need to know.

The new Covid-19 variant known as Omicron has officially been detected in Australia and after a worrying surge in cases in South Africa, the world is on high alert.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new variant.

When was it first detected?

The B. 1.1.529 variant was identified on Tuesday but on Friday was designated as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organisation due to its high number of mutations, which could lead it to evade immunity. The new variant has now been named Omicron.

Where did it come from?

Earliest detection of the variant was in a sample collected from Botswana on November 11.

Why are scientists worried?

The variant has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, more than double the number carried by the Delta variant. The dramatic increase has scientists concerned that the antibodies from previous infections or vaccination may no longer be well matched.

Is it easier to transmit?

It’s not clear yet, but the surge of cases in South Africa is worrying after the country shot from 273 cases on November 16 to 1,200 by the start of the week.

Is it resistant against the vaccine?

Studies are still being conducted and real world data will give a clearer picture, but scientists are concerned by the number of mutations. It’s not expected the variant will be entirely unrecognisable to existing antibodies, but current vaccines may give less protection.

People in full PPE arriving at Sydney International Airport. Picture: Adam Yip

Are the symptoms of the new variant worse?

There’s no information yet on whether the variant changes Covid symptoms or severity, but it’s something South African scientists are closely monitoring. At the moment, scientists say there’s no strong reason to suspect that the latest variant will be worse or milder.

Will the vaccines need to be changed to protect against the new variant?

Teams behind vaccines are already working on updating vaccines with the new spike protein to prepare if a new version is needed. A lot of the preparation work happened with Beta and Delta emerged but in those cases it wasn’t needed as the vaccines held up well.

Will it spread worldwide?

Experts say previous experience has shown that travel bans buy time, but if there’s increased transmission, the new variant is likely to have already spread undetected to other countries.