SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant: A next phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic and a call to arms for system sciences and precision medicine. Issue 1 (11th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mostafavi, Ebrahim; Dubey, Ankit Kumar; Teodori, Laura; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Kaushik, Ajeet
• Is Part Of: MedComm. Volume 3:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-02-11
• Subjects: COVID‐19 infection -- diagnostics -- nanomedicine -- Omicron -- precision medicine -- SARS‐CoV‐2 mutations; 610
• DOI: 10.1002/mco2.119
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2688-2663

Abstract

Abstract: Since early 2020, coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID‐19) infection pandemic/endemic is constantly surprising health experts because of continuous variations in the structures of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in the form of newly emerged variants. Such mutations have exhibited high mortality and severity due to the newly emerged more infectious sites of SARS‐CoV‐2, making viral infection more transmissible, infectious, and severe. Recently, SARS‐CoV‐2 mutated to another variant, namely, Omicron (B.1.1.529), which is many times more transmissible and infectious than existed deadly Delta variants of the virus. This severity is closely correlated to a larger number of mutations observed in the receptor‐binding domain of the spike protein of the Omicron‐SARS‐CoV‐2. Considering severity, Omicron has been declared as variant of concerns by the World Health Organization and within days from its emergence, Omicron infection has spread globally, increased hospitalization, exhibited more severity for the young generation, invaded defense mechanism of natural immunity, not responsive to the available vaccines. Such circumstances resonated with the efficiency of available strategies established to manage COVID‐19 intelligently and successfully. To explore these aspects, this perspective article carefully and critically summarizes the Omicron's origin, structure, pathogenesis, impact health along with health systems, and experts' recommendations to manage it successfully. Abstract : In this perspective, the authors first discussed the Omicron's origin, mutations, structure, pathogenesis, and its impact on human health while comparing it with the previous variant of concerns (VOCs). System science and precision medicine are introduced by employing Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data reservoirs, bioinformatic systems, advanced in vitro 3D models, and subtypes sciences to diagnose and eradicate the Omicron virus. Experts' recommendations to successfully manage Omicron‐SARS‐CoV‐2 variant are also provided.