Two items important items to note from this early research report:
 
  • A synthetic variant previously described with 20 mutations in the spike protein was associated with almost complete escape from convalescent and vaccinee sera . As Omicron carries even more mutations in the S-gene compared to this variant, a very significant effect on neutralisation is expected
 
  • If infection with the new variant is acquired, it is likely that at least a part of the population will experience severe disease. There is still no severity information for Omicron, however it is likely that that the same populations wit higher likelihood of severe outcomes from other SARS-CoV-2 variants (the elderly, those with underlying comorbidities) are likely to have severe outcomes due to Omicron.
READ REPORT OMICRON VARIANT OF CONCERN