Dr. IV Mirus on the Omicron variant

(Note: This interview was conducted on Wednesday morning, before the first U.S. case of the Omicron was identified in California.)

Alex: Hello, Dr. IV Mirus!

Dr. IV Mirus: Hello!

Alex: How are you doing in the Dallas area?

Dr. IV Mirus: I’m doing good. The hospital is staying busy, with many people coming in. Some come in for COVID, but the reasons vary. I’m doing good so far.

Alex: Good to know that. Now, I want to ask you some questions regarding the new variant of the coronavirus known as Omicron. Many around the world are seriously concerned about this. Can you explain to us what’s different about the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant and the original COVID-19 virus? What is different about the Omicron variant?

Dr. IV Mirus: Yeah. The biggest concern is that we can test and see different kinds of variants - like I explained in another interview, variants of a virus are similar to the structure of a tree. This is true for all coronaviruses, right, but they all are a little different like the Alpha, the first one, and the Delta. Now we have Omicron. That one is not related to Delta. It’s more like it’s a different branch, so to speak. We tested it in Africa, and they identified that this variant spreads much faster than the Delta. That warns the national scientific community that this is a great concern, because why is this variant spreading so quickly? That’s why we’re now concerned about this as it’s a warning that this new variant could affect many people, worse than Delta. But they don’t have a lot of information right now, it’s still very early so we’re trying to figure out if it will cause serious illness or is manageable. Will it spread to great lengths, more than Delta? These are good questions. We’re not sure yet. But I expect that in about two to six weeks, we will know more information about what’s going on with the Omicron variant itself.

Alex: Understood. Can you explain why people are very concerned about this variant? Some say it has a different structure that makes it more easily spreadable than others. Can you explain the identifying factor that makes it different? Is there any information about that?

Dr. IV Mirus: So the biggest concern about any kind of variant is that the mutation will beat our vaccines. Our vaccines are the primary defenses against the coronavirus. So the concern is that the mutation on the spike protein, where our vaccine identifies the virus, may change in a way that overrides our vaccine - or not. We don’t know. That’s the biggest concern. But I don’t want people to be scared or worried about what to do. Vaccine prevention is not as simple as “yes” or ‘no”. It’s really more of a spectrum meaning we could expect the Omicron to enter the U.S. and cause infections in those who are vaccinated. That’s possible, yes, but would we expect severe illness leading to people needing to go to the hospital and stay in the ICU? The vaccine will still prevent it, because the core of the “tree”, the coronavirus, is the same. There are different strains, yes, and our vaccine works better for some of these strains compared to others but they are all coronaviruses. That’s why the CDC really recommends that we all have a third booster shot now.

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Alex: Do you feel like our Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccinations will successfully protect us from the coronavirus and that it means the booster shot is more important now because of the Omicron, meaning we should hurry to get the third booster shot?

Dr. IV Mirus: Exactly, yes. It’s like what you see in Africa, it now has affected Canada and Europe. We see a warning sign, just like there’s a fire in the distance and we can see the smoke. We need to be ready for that fire to enter the U.S. Honestly, chances are it has already entered this country but we haven’t caught it. So, our defense would be if we have people who have gotten their first and second vaccines, plus the third booster. That way, we can build a wall to prevent the fire from spreading in the U.S. Also, Pfizer, Moderna and J&J are now researching vaccines specifically for the Omicron variant. At the very least, we can buy time to prevent the spread of that “fire” to give us more time to research and find other possible vaccines if we need. It’s still very early to say. We will gather more information in two to six weeks. But right now, what we can do is watch out, and get the vaccine to protect ourselves and protect the U.S.

Alex: Understood. It seems like the Delta variant was new and unexpected at first, and we’ve sort of become used to the idea of it. Now there’s the new Omicron variant. Do we expect more variants to emerge in the future? When will it end?

Dr. IV Mirus: It will end once everyone gets the shot, right? If the virus can’t infect people because they already have the vaccine, then it can’t mutate. Hopefully it’ll go away. That’s the goal. The flu shots we get every year are because the flu changes every year, right? So, will coronavirus do that? It’s possible. It might change faster, or it might slow down. We’ll see. But really, the only way we can prevent it right now is to get the vaccine. We expect we will have some kind of protection. They’re the same virus, but… Will it continue to mutate? Will these mutations continue to beat us even as we create new vaccines, forcing us to create new ones? It’s an ongoing war with the virus, so I hope it will eventually go away. The Delta variant is still a problem here. One thousand people die every day here in the U.S. Most of them were not vaccinated. We need to solve that problem before new problems show up.

Alex: I understand. Very clear. That question now, regarding the Omicron, is that the best prevention is getting the vaccine. Do you have anything else you want to share with us?

Dr. IV Mirus: I’m a little concerned about what will happen in the future, but the good news is that our strategy since we started the pandemic has always been three things - test to identify any new strains or new variants, and if you’re feeling sick, do get tested. The second are preventative measures to stop the spread, like wearing masks and social distancing if you’re sick. We have to go back to being diligent with mask-wearing, especially when inside. And the third thing is vaccine treatment. These three things have not changed. That has always been our strategy, whether the virus is a new variant or not. These three elements will help us get closer to getting rid of the virus and the pandemic. The goal is to go back to a normal life. I think we all want that. We have different opinions on how to get to that goal, but if we rely on science, data, and researchers, we will be successful in getting out of this problem. If we follow their recommendations, we will get out of this problem faster without the loss of life.

Alex: Understood. That’s very clear. I think that’s all. I really appreciate your time, and I will ask you more questions about Omicron later when scientists have more information to share. Thank you very much.

Dr. IV Mirus: Take care. Stay healthy!