Omicron variant will 'dominate & overwhelm the world', warns medical expert from Singapore

The new COVID-19 variant Omicron would certainly "overwhelm the whole world" in the next months, a Singapore-based infectious disease doctor. Dr Leong Hoe Nam of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore told CNBC on December 1, that while vaccines against the variant can be manufactured fast, they must be evaluated for three to six months to verify that they can confer immunity against the variant. 

"But frankly, omicron will dominate and overwhelm the whole world in three to six months," Dr. Leong stated, CNBC reported.

Delta, the variant responsible for 99% of COVID-19 infections, first appeared in March 2021, and by July had taken over the world. Experts aren't sure how contagious the highly altered new Omicron variant is, but alterations in the virus's spike protein, which connects to human cells, have been linked to increased transmission and a drop in antibody protection. "The profile of the mutations strongly suggests that it’s going to have an advantage in transmissibility and that it might evade immune protection that you would get," claimed Dr Anthony Fauci, US medical expert and advisor, NBC reported.

Leong: Omicron-specific vaccine's idea may sound nice but not 'realistic'

Talking about Omicron-specific vaccine, Leong stated that that idea may sound nice, but "it's not realistic," according to CNBC. He added that the vaccines won't be able to come out in time, and by the time they arrive, almost everyone will have been infected (with) Omicron due to its high infectiousness and transmissibility. He claimed that Omicron is threatening the entire world with a sudden increase in cases, and that health-care systems could be overburdened, even if only 1% or 2% of cases end up in hospitals. Although Leong acknowledged that a three-dose vaccine regimen would certainly protect against severe disease, he also pointed out that immunisation rates in many countries remain low.

On Monday, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel stated that developing and shipping a vaccine that precisely targets the Omicron variant will take months. Whereas, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, shots might be ready in less than 100 days, or slightly more than three months. Omicron was first discovered in South Africa and the WHO recently identified it as a variety of concerns. It has now been detected in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Portugal, among other countries.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP