Is Omicron a serious worry or an evolutionary dead end?

Published

2 years ago

November 26, 2021

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So the new variant has a name, but we’ve no idea about its reputation.

On paper at least the Omicron variant looks terrifying. It has more mutations than any previously observed strain of COVID.

And the mutations aren’t just a random jumble of genetic changes. A worrying number of them are in parts of the virus we know are important for becoming more infectious as well as avoiding antibodies and other parts of the immune system.

Take the receptor-binding domain, a key part of the virus’ spike protein that allows it to grab onto our cells. The Delta variant has two mutations in the RBD, the now rare Beta variant (formerly known as the South Africa variant) has three.

Omicron has 10. If there was a menu of possible mutations suited to the human host, Omicron ordered the full English.

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This is what made scientists sit up and take notice when their colleagues in South Africa first published the sequence of the new variant.

But what caused today’s international response was evidence that a recent and steep spike in cases in south African cases may be due to Omicron. Its powers may not just be theoretical.

But we’re probably weeks away from knowing whether Omicron is a serious worry or another of COVID’s many evolutionary dead-ends.

First, its role in the recent spike in cases in South Africa isn’t confirmed. It certainly makes up the majority of cases in the COVID surge in Gauteng province (the area surrounding Johannesburg and Pretoria), and there’s evidence it’s on the rise elsewhere in South Africa.

But cases are very low in the country – around 70 times lower than the daily average in the UK. Even a small increase in numbers of a new variant can look alarming when numbers are low.

Then there’s the fact the short natural history of COVID-19 has taught us that appearances can be deceptive.

The Beta variant is a case in point. It was effective at evading antibodies from vaccines, it caused a significant wave of infection in South Africa but it never gained a foothold against the more infectious Delta variant.

When Delta spread to South Africa it rapidly displaced Beta.

Having lots of mutations, so the theory goes, could incur costs to the virus in some other part of its biology, making it less fit in a slightly different environment to the one it evolved in.

What scientists in South Africa are doing now is growing the Omicron strain in the laboratory so they can start to test it against antibodies from vaccinated or previously infected people.

They’re also planning to share samples with their colleagues abroad including teams in the UK.

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These experiments should confirm whether Omicron truly is more contagious, or can avoid vaccines and hold its own against the delta strain.

But that will take weeks of work. Until then, eyes will be on South Africa’s outbreak to see whether it provides more answers: is this just a first, but short-lived, flush from a flashy but flawed viral mutant? Or are we witnessing COVID’s next big evolutionary step?

World

French police shoot dead armed suspect who ‘planned to set fire to synagogue’

Published

15 mins ago

May 17, 2024

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French police shoot dead armed suspect who 'planned to set fire to synagogue'

French police have shot and killed an armed suspect outside of a synagogue, the interior minister has said.

The incident in Rouen, northern France, on Friday morning happened after the individual was intent on setting fire to the town’s synagogue, Gerald Darmanin said.

“I congratulate [national police officers] for their reactivity and their courage,” he added.

According to regional authorities, police rushed toward the man as smoke was rising from the synagogue.

He was carrying a knife and an iron bar when an officer shot him dead. His identity and motive are unclear.

Local broadcaster France 3 reported firefighters were at the scene. A city hall official said shortly before 8am that the fire had been brought under control.

Rouen mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol also said on social media the town is “bruised and in shock”.

He thanked first responders on the scene and said there were “no victims other than the armed individual”.

The president of France’s Consistoire Central Jewish worshippers body Elie Korchia added police “avoided another anti-Semitic tragedy”.

France has already raised its security level to its highest level ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris over conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the threat of terror attacks.

World

Donald Trump trial star witness Michael Cohen accused of lying about hush money phone call

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Donald Trump trial star witness Michael Cohen accused of lying about hush money phone call

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former “thug” and “pit bull”, has been accused of lying about a phone call he says he made to the former US president about payments to ex porn star Stormy Daniels.

Cohen, a lawyer who worked for the Trump Organisation from 2006 to 2017, has been giving evidence in the case about hush money payments to Ms Daniels – in an attempt to cover up an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.

Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, called into question an important detail – a phone call made by Cohen to Trump’s assistant, Keith Schiller, on 24 October 2016.

Cohen, 57, has maintained that during that call he spoke to Trump (who was either given the phone by Mr Schiller or placed on loudspeaker – we don’t know which) and told him he had paid Ms Daniels $130,000 in hush money on his behalf.

But Mr Blanche called this into doubt – showing the jury a number of interactions suggesting Cohen was in contact with Mr Schiller about a different issue at the same time, namely that he was receiving harassing phone calls and texts from a 14-year-old child.

“That was a lie – you did not talk to President Trump on that night, you talked to Keith Schiller about what we just went through,” Mr Blanche said.

Cohen said that, based on his records, he believes he spoke to Trump about the Stormy Daniels matter.

“We are not asking for your belief,” Mr Blanche said. “This jury does not want to hear what you think happened.”

That exchange was part of several hours of questioning which apparently sought to paint a picture of Cohen as someone who is eager to see his former boss behind bars.

Mr Blanche played jurors audio clips of Cohen saying the case “fills me with delight” and that imagining Trump and his family in prison made him feel “giddy with hope and laughter”.

“Does the outcome of this trial affect you personally?” Mr Blanche asked.

“Yes,” Cohen replied. He is due to return to the witness stand on Monday.

Cohen worked as the former president’s fixer. He once described himself as Trump’s “spokesman, thug, pit bull and lawless lawyer”.

He once said he would take a bullet for his boss and admitted at the end of questioning on Tuesday that he “violated my moral compass” while working for Trump.

Hush money payouts are not illegal, but Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide it – a claim he denies.

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Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes top 10 list of highest-paid athletes

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes top 10 list of highest-paid athletes

Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time in his career.

Spanish golfer Jon Rahm took second place following his switch to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Ronaldo became the world’s highest-paid athlete after his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr and Forbes said the 39-year-old’s estimated total earnings were around $260m (£205m) – an all-time high for a football player.

His on-field earnings amounted to $200m (£158m) while off-field he earned $60m (£47m) thanks to sponsorship deals where brands make use of his 629 million Instagram followers.

Rahm earned $218m (£172m) and joins Ronaldo as the only two athletes to earn over $200m.

Third on the list is record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who switched to Major League Soccer team Inter Miami, which helped the Argentine World Cup winner earn $135m (£107m).

The 36-year-old earned $65m (£51m) in on-field earnings but $70m (£55m) off it from deals with major sponsors such as Adidas and Apple.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James came in fourth at $128m (£101m), while fellow NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks made fifth with $111m (£88m).

France football captain Kylian Mbappe dropped down to sixth with $110m (£87m).

Neymar, who also moved to the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Hilal, is seventh with $108m (£85m), despite sitting out the majority of the season with a torn ACL.

French striker Karim Benzema, who also moved to Saudi Arabia, is eighth on the list with $106m (£84m), followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry with $102m (£80m).

Lamar Jackson is the only NFL player on the list, in 10th place with $101m (£80m), thanks to the signing bonus negotiated into his new Baltimore Ravens contract last year.