The Omicron Variant that has even experts scratching their heads over its infectious potential

As Japan is an island nation, there is a possibility that the virus can be stopped from landing on the island, and it all depends on waterfront measures. However, if it is able to get through, the sixth wave of …… will come. If that happens, I think it won’t be long before thousands of people a day are infected.

Dr. Hideomi Nakahara, a medical doctor specializing in infectious diseases and president emeritus of Nitobe Bunka College, sounds the alarm. If the situation continues as it is, the influx of a new variant of the new coronavirus, the Omicron Variant, into Japan will be inevitable.

On November 30, a man in his 30s who arrived at Narita Airport from Namibia was found to have been infected with the Omicron Variant. Seventy of his fellow passengers are now in close contact with him. Dr. Masayuki Miyasaka, an invited professor at the Frontier Research Center for Immunology, Osaka University, pointed out, “Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on November 11, 2011, that he would not be able to get rid of the disease.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has taken measures to suspend the entry of new foreign nationals into Japan from November 30. This is a necessary temporary measure, but I believe that Omicron Variants are already flowing into Japan. This is because there have already been cases in the UK. So far, Japan has not stopped people from the UK from entering the country, so it is highly likely that the disease is spreading under the surface. We will have to take countermeasures on the assumption that it has already been introduced.

The Omicron Variant is said to be an “unknown threat. What is the difference between this Variant and the delta Variant that is currently spreading in Europe?

The difference is that there are many more mutations. In particular, there are more mutations in the parts of the virus that are necessary for it to attach to human cells, so I don’t think it’s surprising that its infectivity has increased.

A further concern is that the vaccine may not be effective.

What is more worrisome is that the vaccine may not be effective. “The Omicron Variant contains mutations similar to those of the Delta Variant, for which the vaccine is somewhat ineffective, so vaccinees may also become infected. On the other hand, since there are many similarities, the vaccine should be effective to a certain extent.

There is also a possibility that the antibody cocktail therapy “Lonapreve”, which is starting to be used in Japan, may not be effective. This is a worrying factor because it is a drug that prevents serious illness.

Will it be possible to prevent the spread of infection in Japan?

Will we be able to prevent the spread of the disease in Japan? “If we can continue our infection control measures at the same level as now, the scale of the sixth wave will be small.

However, the Christmas and New Year’s events are coming up. However, with Christmas and other year-end and New Year events coming up, it is certain that people will be careless. In addition, Masahiro Kami, president of the Institute for Healthcare Governance, said, “Vaccines are not enough to prevent infection.

The vaccine is only effective in preventing infection for about three months. So it would not be surprising if the Omicron Variant entered Japan and caused a major epidemic in January or February or later. Also, if the Omicron Variant has resistance to the vaccine, it could cause a serious infection explosion. Pfizer and others have indicated that they are going to make a vaccine for the mutant Variant. In other words, they may be aware that the current vaccine is not working. ……”

When I visited the international terminal of Haneda Airport in the early afternoon of November 30, there were hardly any people in the departure and arrival lobbies. Will the shadow of the Corona disaster grow thicker again?

From “FRIDAY” December 17, 2021 issue