New SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant — clinical picture, treatment, prevention (literature review)

Abstract

Despite the decrease in the incidence rate, today the problem of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains relevant on a global scale. Among the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, the Omicron is currently dominant. The differentiating properties of the Omicron variant are a shorter incubation period (1-5 days), high contagiousness, and a relatively mild course of the disease, which is associated with the highest number of genome mutations among all SARS-CoV-2 variants. The new variant is characterized by upper respiratory tract symptoms: rhinorrhea, severe sore throat, sneezing, less commonly cough, headache, and weakness. Oral antiviral drugs Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are effective for treating mild to moderate COVID-19, including in outpatients. While corticosteroids and interleukin-6 receptor antagonists are still effective in treating patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, the effectiveness of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies has not yet been fully proven. Vaccination, especially booster doses, against SARS-CoV-2 is the most effective method of preventing COVID-19. The review purpose was to analyze the literature to determine the key aspects of prevention, clinical picture and treatment of a new SARSCoV-2 Omicron variant. The work used publications for the period from November 2021 to February 25, 2022, dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant from the following databases: PubMed, eLibrary, MedRxiv, Google Scholar. The following key words were used: “Omicron”, “SARS CoV-2”, “COVID-19”, “Omicron treatment”. The analysis showed that COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant is characterized by a relatively mild course. However, due to high contagiousness, this variant poses a significant problem due to the excessive load on outpatient and inpatient healthcare, including intensive care units.