"Omicron's Bronchial Proliferation Rate Reaches 70 Times That of Delta"...Examining the Penetration Process

Research Team: "If Delta is a handshake, Omicron is a structure that clings like interlaced fingers"

On the morning of the 3rd, a monitor installed at the screening clinic of Buk-gu Public Health Center in Gwangju displays information expressing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] A new study has found that the COVID-19 Omicron variant replicates more actively in the bronchus than in the lungs and may have a stronger molecular binding affinity than the Delta variant.

According to major foreign media on the 15th (local time), a research team from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine in Hong Kong reported that the Omicron variant replicates 70 times faster in the bronchus compared to the Delta variant. On the other hand, it was found to be relatively less active in lung tissue, replicating less than 10 times compared to the existing virus. The paper containing this research has not yet undergone peer review.

The research team explained, "(These findings) can explain why Omicron spreads faster than previous variants but causes relatively less severe illness," adding, "However, due to its high transmissibility, it may only be a matter of time before it becomes the dominant strain worldwide."

Professor Chen Ziwei (陳志偉), who participated in the study, emphasized, "The severity of the disease is not determined solely by the transmissibility of the virus," and added, "Even if the (Omicron) virus itself is not highly pathogenic, the more people get infected, the more severe illnesses and deaths can occur."

He continued, "We also need to consider how much Omicron can evade immunity formed by previous infections and vaccines," and said, "In that sense, the overall risk of Omicron could be threatening."

Meanwhile, according to research announced on the 13th by a team from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, there is also a finding that the Omicron variant can bind more tightly to cells in the body than the Delta variant when invading.

COVID-19 is known to enter human respiratory cells by using the spike protein on the virus surface to attach to a protein receptor called ACE2 on the surface of human respiratory cells. The research team explained, "If existing viruses like Delta bind in a handshake form, Omicron binds in a molecular structure like entwined fingers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.