Omikron and the fifth wave of the corona pandemic: Munich doctor explains what you should know now

Created: 01/11/2022, 08:33 AM

From: Wolfgang Hauskrecht

Search for new variants: a technician from the University of Greifswald prepares sequencing samples.

© Jens Büttner / dpa

What are we dealing with with the corona mutation Omikron?

With the help of a Munich doctor, we answer the most important questions - and what about other variants.

Munich - after Delta and Omikron now Deltakron? The report from the University of Cyprus about a new variant burst right in the middle of the ongoing Omikron wave. But the all-clear came almost as quickly. The university had apparently made a technical error in sequencing - the supposed new mixed variant of Delta and Omikron was therefore the result of contamination of samples in the laboratory. So it stays with Omikron for the time being - and that's enough. Because the variant of the corona virus is now also in a hurry in Germany. It is spreading stronger and faster. According to the Robert Koch Institute in Bavaria, the Omikron share of positive tests last week rose to 43 percent, and in Bremen it is already over 85 percent. We answer the most important questions about Omikron.

Corona: Omicron mutation is more contagious - that's behind it

How contagious is the Omikron variant?

"Previous study data indicate that Omikron is two to three times more infectious than Delta," says Dr.

Christoph Spinner, infectiologist and pandemic officer at the Munich University Hospital on the right of the Isar.

The epidemiologist Timo Ulrichs explains in an ntv podcast why this is so: “The mutations on the spike protein mean that the ability to bind to host cells in the human body is even better.

In other words, far fewer viruses are sufficient to trigger an infection. "

Incubation period and symptoms:

The incubation period, i.e. the time between infection and the first symptoms, is probably shorter, reliable data are still lacking. "In the case of an infection, the first symptoms appear three days after contact with the infected," says Spinner. One can be contagious even before the first symptoms. It is still unclear whether the duration of the infectiousness is shorter than with other variants, explains Spinner. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the symptoms are mainly a runny nose, cough and sore throat, sometimes loss of appetite, fatigue and sweats - but not a loss of taste and smell, as is the case with Delta. Omicron is also less likely to affect the lungs, but more likely to affect the nose and throat. Symptoms often appear earlier in unvaccinated people because the immune system reacts more slowly. That also meansthat in the case of vaccinated persons, rapid tests can show a negative result despite an infection due to the lower viral load.

Omicron variant: Why the double vaccination protection is suddenly not enough

How well does vaccination against Omikron work?

Even the basic vaccination provides good protection against severe disease - but not against infection.

The virologist Christian Drosten refers to a preprint study from Denmark.

According to this, the risk of infection with Omikron for unvaccinated and double-vaccinated people is similarly high - for boosted people, the risk drops sharply by 54 percent.

“The vaccines do what they're supposed to.

They protect against severe courses, ”says Carsten Watzl, Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology.

Especially people over 65: According to a British analysis, the protection against hospitalization three months after the third vaccination is around 90 percent.

Why do the vaccines work worse?

“The vaccines are designed for a specific sequence of the spike protein that is on the virus surface.

In the meantime, however, there are variants that have changed the spike protein in crucial places, ”explains Sebastian Ulbert from the Fraunhofer Institute.

As a result, this new variant is no longer recognized so well by the immune system.

Dr.

Christoph Spinner, pandemic officer at the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich.

© Angelika Warmuth / dpa / archive

Corona infection by Omikron: Why the course of the disease is usually less severe

How sick does Omicron make you?

“Initial study data indicate less severe courses, especially among those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. This may also be due to the fact that severe pneumonia occurs less often with Omikron, ”explains Spinner. This reduces the likelihood of treatment with oxygen and / or in an intensive care unit. The majority of patients in the right of the Isar is so far infected with the Delta variant. "However, we are observing a sharp increase in the proportion of Omikron among those infected - by up to 90 percent."

Susanne Johna, head of the Marburger Bund, also confirms that Omikron leads to intensive care less often. But Johna warns: “It would be a mistake to only look at the utilization of the intensive care units during the Omikron wave. Most of the cases have to be treated in the emergency rooms and in the normal wards. ”She expects many Omikron cases in clinics soon, which means a lot of effort. “They have to be isolated, some of them need oxygen and the personnel have to put on protective clothing,” says Johna. In Bavaria, 1845 hospital beds were occupied by corona patients on Monday (12.3 percent less than in the previous week), plus 502 intensive care beds (minus 21.3 percent compared to the previous week).

At the beginning of December, just under 1,110 corona patients had to be treated intensively, and the number has been falling since then.

In Bavaria, the hospitalization incidence recently fell to 2.3.

That means: out of 100,000 Bavarians, 2.3 had to go to hospital in the past seven days.

At the height of the fourth wave in November, there were four times as many.

Booster vaccination?

Regular refresher courses for risk groups seem sensible

Are rapid tests working at Omikron?

The Paul Ehrlich Institute is currently testing the effectiveness of rapid tests.

The result so far: around 80 percent of the tests are suitable for detecting Omikron.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has announced a positive list for rapid tests that recognize the Omikron variant well.

When will the modified vaccine come?

The head of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Klaus Cichutek, assumes that an adapted vaccine will be available by June at the latest. It is the turn of the manufacturers of the mRNA vaccines, and the approval process has already started at the same time. However, it is not yet entirely clear whether it will be a simple adaptation only to Omikron, or whether vaccines should not be selected and adapted “that achieve a broader effect”.

Is the booster booster necessary?

"The many antibodies that you have after the booster are lost over time," says immunologist Watzl.

Given that there are still vaccine picks, regular boosters could be useful for risk groups.

In the case of young and healthy people, it is conceivable that no regular refreshment is necessary - as long as the virus does not change significantly.

Israeli data on the fourth vaccination had recently shown that the effect fizzled out again relatively quickly.

Corona sticking point and decisive for the end of the pandemic: Further possible virus variants

Are further variants likely?

"If the number of infections remains high, it is likely that other variants will occur," says Spinner. “It is conceivable that these variants will be more infectious or disease-causing - in the worst case both together.” Nevertheless, the cellular immunity of vaccinated and convalescent people in particular will offer protection against such new virus variants.

What medication can I take?

If the course is mild, medication is not necessary, according to Spinner.

"Otherwise, depending on the symptoms, infected people can take common medicines for colds such as antipyretic or pain reliever medication." And one should drink plenty of water.

According to Spinner, therapy with molnupiravir capsules for five days can be considered for people with risk factors such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, or who are over 60.

This is particularly useful for unvaccinated people.

"In the near future, alternatively therapy with Nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid) or the neutralizing antibody sotrovimab can be used, both of which are not yet available."

Meanwhile, a supposed Corona miracle weapon from Munich recently caused a stir: Researchers reported an important breakthrough.