THE newly identified Omicron Covid-19 variant (B.1.1.529) is the most worrying as it has a large number of mutations that may help it dodge immunity and make it more infectious.
Molecular virologist Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam of the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University Malaysia said it was all the more important now for the public to remain vigilant amid relaxed standard operating procedures (SOPs).
He also stressed that getting vaccinated against Covid-19, including receiving booster shots, was the strongest form of protection.
The new variant, which is descended from the B.1.1 lineage, was "unprecedented" and "very unusual" in the number of mutations, he said.
The B.1.1529, he said, had 32 mutations in its spike protein and they included E484A, K417N and N440K, which were believed to help the virus evade the body's immune system.
"Another mutation, N501Y, appears to increase the ability of the virus to gain entry to our cells, making it more transmissible.
"Another important matter to note is that most of the major mutations are located at the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, the exact location targeted by antibodies induced by the vaccines.
"In other words, the 32 mutations detected in the new variant's spike protein will change the shape of this structure, making it problematic for the immune response induced by the vaccines.
"These mutations can make the spike protein less recognisable to our antibodies. As a result, they won't be as effective at neutralising the virus, which is then able to slip past immune defences and cause infection," he told the New Sunday Times.
The Omicron variant was first reported to World Health Organisation from South Africa on Nov 24. The epidemiological situation in South Africa had been characterised by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant.
The World Health Organisation had noted that in recent weeks, infections had increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of the B.1.1.529 variant.
The WHO then declared Omicron as a "variant of concern" (VoC), which had also spread to Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.
Dr Vinod said while the 32 mutations in the spike proteins were a "real concern" and with it giving this variant the ability to evade vaccines, this should not deter the worldwide vaccination drive, including the administration of booster doses, together with other "weapons" that countries already have.
"We should not forget that we have the 'weapons' (which include face masks, physical distancing and proper hand hygiene) to reduce the risk of becoming infected.
"The goal should be to slow down the virus spread by adhering to SOP and speeding up the vaccination drive, including the administration of booster doses, especially in vulnerable populations."
He further said vaccine equity was a real problem, and its leading to emergence of newer and possibly more lethal strains.
"Every time the virus reproduces inside someone, there's a chance of it mutating into a new variant.
"This is a numbers game. It's a random process, a bit like rolling a dice. The more you roll, the greater the chance of a new variant appearing. It's basically a ticking time bomb."
He said vaccines should reach people as quickly as possible, especially in countries lagging behind in vaccination rates, both to help the people there and stop new variants from emerging.
"Let us not forget that in South Africa, where just 35 per cent of the people are fully vaccinated, the variant has begun to spread rapidly. A number of factors could be contributing to the rising cases, including the nation's low vaccination rate.
"Vaccine equity is a global problem. If we don't address this quickly enough, our exit from the pandemic will be set back, possibly for months or years.
"In the case of the Omicron variant, it contains the recipe for disaster as initial looks at the viral genome suggests possibility of immune-evading capabilities, which are higher compared to other VoC.
"As we are currently looking in-depth at its pathogenicity, virulence and transmission, we will only get a clearer picture in the coming weeks.
"But countries cannot rest on their laurels and risk another variant wreaking havoc similar to what Delta has done.
"We must stay vigilant and tighten controls, enhance testing at our borders and monitor this development closely."
According to WHO, the first confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on Nov 9. WHO noted that preliminary evidence suggested a higher risk of re-infection in this variant compared with other VoC.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had on Friday said the ministry would enhance its genomic surveillance apart from speeding up the delivery of booster shots under the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme to provide added protection against the Omicron variant.
These new approaches, he said, were in addition to the travel restrictions imposed from several sub-Saharan African countries, where the new coronavirus variant had emerged.