HKUMed finds Omicron SARS-CoV-2 can infect faster and better than Delta in human bronchus but with less severe infection in lung
Ming C. Chan
Abstract
A study led by researchers from the LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) provides the first information on how the novel Variant of Concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2, the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infect human respiratory tract. The researchers found that Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infects and multiplies 70 times faster than the Delta variant and original SARS-CoV-2 in human bronchus, which may explain why Omicron may transmit faster between humans than previous variants. Their study also showed that the Omicron infection in the lung is significantly lower than the original SARS-CoV-2, which may be an indicator of lower disease severity. This research is currently under peer review for publication.
Topics & Concepts
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Human lungBronchusCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)VirologyRespiratory tract2019-20 coronavirus outbreakLungBiologyDiseaseMedicineRespiratory systemPathologyRespiratory diseaseInfectious disease (medical specialty)Internal medicineAnatomyOutbreakSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchMisinformation and Its ImpactsCOVID-19 diagnosis using AI