20th IAMRS Omicron Webinar

The most prominent points that were shown by Dr. Angelique Coetzee (discoverer of the Omicron mutant) and Dr. Adnan Al-Badran (Professor of Biology at the University of Basra) in the 20th virtual webinar of the Iraqi Association for Medical Research and Studies on the Omicron Variant

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1. Omicron is more infectious than its mutant predecessors.

2. Omicron is less aggressive than its predecessors and causes symptoms similar to the common cold.

3. A lower percentage of those infected with it need to be admitted to the hospital compared to the Delta Variant.

4. A very small percentage need to enter intensive care compared to the Delta.

5.  90% of those who needed hospitalization are unvaccinated.

6. The vaccine protects a good percentage people from getting infection with the omicron, but at a lesser rate than it protects against the rest of the variants.

7. The booster dose of the vaccine increases the protection rate against the omicron mutant.

8. We can consider Omicron a virus that causes upper respiratory infection (common cold-like symptoms and a slight allergic cough) so it does not cause pneumonia.

9. The Omicron Variant is the 12th mutant of the Corona virus.

10. Professor Adnan Al-Badran explained the difference between a mutant and a strain, as each strain is a genetic mutant that shows distinct physical characteristics from the previous one.

To look for the Dr. Angelique Cortez speech click here

To look for Dr. Adnan Albadran speech click here

To see the panel discussion of this webinar click here

With regards

Iraqi Association for Medical Research and Studies