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It was found that 1 out of 5 domestic corona patients was infected with a virus called stealth omicron.



In some cases, it was not identified by the existing testing method, so the name 'stealth' was given.



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Omicron's sub-variant BA2, or stealth Omicron, has a domestic market share of 22.9%, doubling from a week ago.



In some countries, the word 'stealth' was given because it could not be diagnosed with conventional tests.



In Korea, it can be identified by both PCR and rapid antigen test.



There is a study result that the radio wave power is 30% stronger than that of the existing Omicron, but it has already become the dominant species in Denmark, Sweden, and South Africa.



[Jung Eun-kyung/Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Animal test results report on the possibility of high pathogenicity such as lung tissue damage, but so far this has not been confirmed in humans.



] This is a picture of an autopsy of the lungs after infection with a hamster.



The virus that has spread to the lungs is marked in red, and the stealth type is considerably redder than the existing type.



It is 9.3 times stronger than the existing type, which means that it is highly toxic.



The stealth-type hamster also lost much more weight, and had lower lung capacity and oxygen saturation.



This time, let's look at the results of human studies.



South Africa beats the existing Omicron and has 86% Stealth Omicron.



However, there was no difference between the severity of the disease and the rate of hospitalization.



Unlike the hamsters tested by the University of Tokyo in Japan, the research team analyzed that South Africans have immunity that can prevent severe cases.



It means that the body has developed immunity from being vaccinated or catching the corona virus.



[Lee Geun-hwa / Professor of Microbiology, Hanyang University: Hospitalization rate or fatality rate is not high.

In other words, there is no data as of yet that the stealth Omicron virus causes more severe symptoms.]



The World Health Organization warns of excessive concerns that the stealth type is increasing, but the Omicron infection itself is decreasing.



However, he said, it is still in the early stages of the study, so we should keep an eye on it.



(Video editing: So-Young Lee, CG: Jin-Ki Kim)



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