- Omicron was first detected in:
A) South Africa
B) India
C) United States
D) United Kingdom - Omicron has how many mutations on its spike protein compared to the original Wuhan strain:
A) Over 30
B) 15-20
C) 5-10
D) Less than 5 - Omicron appears to have increased ability to evade immune protection from:
A) Vaccination only
B) Prior infection only
C) Both vaccination and prior infection
D) Neither vaccination nor prior infection - What class of mutations does Omicron harbor that suggest it may have increased transmissibility?
A) Furin cleavage site insertions
B) Deletions in the NTD domain
C) Mutation of the 614 residue
D) All of the above - Laboratory studies suggest Omicron may have decreased ability to:
A) Infect the lungs
B) Cause severe disease
C) Bind Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptors
D) Replicate efficiently in the nasopharynx - What type of surge has been observed in South African provinces where Omicron was first reported?:
A) Exponential
B) Slower, linear
C) No spike in cases
D) Declining cases - Omicron infections have been observed to cause which type of symptoms more frequently than prior variants:
A) Loss of taste and smell
B) Fever and chills
C) Sore throat
D) Respiratory issues - What category of patients may be at particular risk for more severe Omicron infection?
A) Unvaccinated individuals
B) Immunocompromised
C) Elderly
D) All of the above - What is the inferred reproductive number (R naught value) for Omicron based on early epidemiological data?:
A) 2-3
B) 3-4
C) 4-5
D) Above 5 - Compared to prior variants, Omicron may be associated with how much lower risk of hospitalization based on early South African experience?:
A) 25-30% lower
B) 50-60% lower
C) 70-80% lower
D) Over 90% lower - How many mutations does Omicron harbor in the RBD domain of the spike protein where many neutralizing antibodies target?:
A) Over 10
B) 5-10
C) Less than 5
D) 0 - Vaccine makers are developing Omicron-specific booster shots. What type of shots are these expected to be?
A) Inactivated virus vaccines
B) Live attenuated virus vaccines
C) mRNA vaccines
D) Viral vector vaccines - Which vaccine may have the best maintained efficacy against severe disease from Omicron based on its mechanism of action?
A) mRNA vaccines
B) Viral vector vaccines
C) Inactivated virus vaccines
D) Live attenuated virus vaccines - Omicron is classified as a variant of:
A) Interest
B) Concern
C) Under monitoring
D) All of the above - Countries worldwide have imposed which type of travel restrictions in response to Omicron?
A) No restrictions
B) Selective screening of at-risk travelers
C) Targeted travel bans from infected regions
D) Universal visa bans - What is the common pattern of symptoms reported for Omicron compared to prior variants?
A) Atypical, generally milder
B) Similar but more severe
C) Prolonged, multi-week illness
D) Non-specific, variable - T-cell immunity, especially from prior infection, is thought play an important role in protection against:
A) Mild Omicron disease only
B) Severe disease from any variant
C) Delta infection but not Omicron
D) Neither Omicron nor Delta infection - Omicron infections appear to primarily cause virus replication in which type of cells based on initial studies?:
A) Neutrophils
B) Macrophages
C) Epithelial cells of the upper airways
D) Lymphocytes - Countries are prioritizing distribution of which class of drug to treat early Omicron cases?:
A) Antivirals
B) Monoclonal antibodies
C) Anti-inflammatory drugs
D) All-class utilization - Based on structural modeling, Omicron variants may have reduced sensitivity to which class of monoclonal antibodies?:
A) T cell activating antibodies
B) IL-6 blocking antibodies
C) Entry/Attachment inhibitors
D) Neutralizing antibodies - What factor has been proposed as a driver for the extensive mutations seen in Omicron relative to prior variants?:
A) Antigenic drift
B) Immune evasion pressure
C) Prolonged undetected transmission
D) Zoonotic spillover - An important limitation of the epidemiological data from South Africa is:
A) Small sample size
B) Limited sequencing coverage
C) Young patient age demographics
D) All cause mortality cannot be reliably assessed - How many Omicron cases have been confirmed worldwide as of February 2022?:
A) 5-10 million
B) 10-20 million
C) 20-50 million
D) Over 100 million - What is the status of vaccine booster shot recommendations for Omicron?:
A) Only high-risk groups are eligible
B) All adults 6 months after second dose
C) All adults 5 months after second dose
D) Monthly boosters recommended - Studies find Omicron replicates up to how many times faster in the bronchus than prior variants?:
A) 1-2 times
B) 2-3 times
C) 3-4 times
D) No replication difference - Mixed delta-omicron infections:
A) Outcompete each other
B) Usually involve delta
C) Are driving winter surge
D) Occur at low frequency - Omicron emerged as the dominant variant in which month for reported cases globally?:
A) November 2021
B) December 2021
C) January 2022
D) February 2022