From SARS to the Omicron variant of COVID-19: China's policy adjustments and changes to prevent and control infectious diseases

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest public health crisis in a century (Figure 1). According to the World Economic Outlook in April 2020, the International Monetary Fund ranked this crisis as the Great Lockdown. In addition to the public health crisis, this health emergency had triggered a global financial crisis, and containment measures have made stimulating aggregate activity more challenging (1). Worldwide, severe uncertainty about the duration and intensity of the pandemic's impacts remains in 2021, and a WHO Emergency Committee concluded that the pandemic is far from over. The Delta variant has become one of the most infectious viruses (R0:5-9•5) (2).New strains pop up continuously. on Nov 26, 2021, WHO designated a new variant, Omicron. After its was first identified in southern Africa, Omicron has been found in 76 countries across the world as of Dec 14, 2021 (3). In the United States, 43 individuals infected with Omicron were identified from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8 (4); one individual was hospitalized but no deaths were reported. China has also identified 11 cases infected with Omicron until Dec. 15, 2021 (5.6). There is substantial uncertainty regarding Omicron's transmissibility and severity ( 7). The researchers from The University of Hong Kong found that Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infects and multiplies 70 times faster than the Delta variant and original SARS-CoV-2 in human bronchus, but the infection in the lung is significantly lower than the original SARS-CoV-2 (8). Given the persistent mutation of the virus, if the SARS-CoV-2 virus becomes more transmissible and it continues to exist with human beings over the long time, then presumably the disease's severity will decrease and it will become "another type of influenza."Omicron's immune escape potential is also uncertain. Breakthrough infections are likely to occur, which means relying more on physical containment strategies. The WHO also recommends that individuals socially distance and wear masks (7).

Tracking and controlling the spatiotemporal spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in South Africa

“…So far, as Omicron becomes the dominant variant in many countries, all of us need to take extra precautions [ 36 , 37 ]. WHO calls on all countries to take all effective measures to prevent the spread of Omicron [ 36 , 37 ].…”

“…So far, as Omicron becomes the dominant variant in many countries, all of us need to take extra precautions [ 36 , 37 ]. WHO calls on all countries to take all effective measures to prevent the spread of Omicron [ 36 , 37 ]. Thus, this study has provided an analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the Omicron spread throughout the 9 provinces of South Africa, to describe the mechanism of the spatial spread of Omicron in an increased in-depth manner.…”

Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, salient features, high global health concerns and strategies to counter it amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

“…Medical staff is also stressed due to difficulty being faced in managing the interactions with anti-vaxers, and the situation worsens while handling aggressive psychiatric patients ( Jain and Jolly, 2021 ). After the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, China has adjusted a series of policies to ensure effective implementation of prevention and control interventions and integrated the public health concept ( Luo et al, 2021 ). The government is set to establish Nightingale hubs at the start of the first week of 2022 as a part of the preparedness program, and here the patients will be kept, those are not fit for discharge but require minimal nursing support and are not going to serve as a source of infection and does not require oxygen support ( Mahase, 2021e ).…”

“…Despite presenting low disease severity, its higher transmissibility might present a threat for co-morbid patients ( WHO, 2021a ). Various strategies to tackle the rising Omicron pandemic that encompass the involvement of government organizations to ensure effective implementation of prevention, control and preparedness interventions ( Luo et al, 2021 ), tie-ups with both public and private sectors to enhance the number of testings ( CDC, 2021b ) and introduction of strict measures and decisions by government based on scientific facts ( Queen, 2022 ) are also discussed.…”

Insights from a computational analysis of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant: Host–pathogen interaction, pathogenicity, and possible drug therapeutics

“…Surprisingly, all these mutations were available in the spike protein RBD of the Omicron variant, implying for an increase in their binding affinity. Acknowledging the characteristic label of infection 70 times faster than the deadly Delta variant and the initial COVID‐19 strain being less severe, 63 a generalized hypothesis could be provided alongside the results of our study. Owing to its greater infectivity but lower pathogenicity, as a comparison to its receptor‐binding capacity, it is hypothesized that ACE2 is responsible for increased infectivity whereas NRP1 is associated with increased pathogenicity; in cases of the Omicron variant, the increased binding affinity for ACE2 corresponds to its greater infection rate, while the decreased binding affinity for NRP1 corresponds to a decreased pathogenicity.…”