REVIEW ON OMICRON: A NEW EMERGING STRAIN OF COVID-19

COVID-19 has brought about a worldwide threat to the public health. Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant B.1.1.529 has been found in South Africa and it leads to rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. On November 24, 2021, B.1.1.529 named Omicron was identified as a variant under monitoring (VUM) by World Health Organization. Two days later, the Omicron variant was categorised as a variant of concern (VOC). This variant harbors a large number of mutations, including 15 mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 also shares variety of mutations with the previous VOC Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants, which quickly raised global concerns about viral pathogenicity, transmissibility, and immune evasion. Here we described the discovery and characteristics of the Omicron variant, Third BNT162b2 Vaccination Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Infection, and further raised possible remedies to prevent and combat the prevalence of the Omicron variant.