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Infections of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have been recognized in new nations across the globe, together with in west Africa, the Gulf and Asia, because the US indicated it might additional tighten its border controls over considerations that the brand new pressure could also be extra transmissible.
Underscoring the quick unfold of the variant, the Nationwide Institute for Communicable Illnesses in South Africa – the place Omicron was first detected – mentioned it had now been present in 5 out of 9 provinces, and accounted for 74% of the virus genomes sequenced in November.
Because the World Well being Group mentioned the timeline for the brand new variant’s emergence was more likely to change, specialists on the world well being physique mentioned they hoped to have higher data “inside days” on each the severity of illness provoked by Omicron and on its transmissibility.
With Ghana, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia and South Korea among the many newest states to report instances, Omicron has been recognized in 24 nations.
Delivering a briefing on the WHO, epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove mentioned one potential situation was that the brand new variant, which was first reported in southern Africa, could also be extra transmissible than the dominant Delta variant. She mentioned it was not but recognized if Omicron makes individuals extra unwell.
The WHO additionally repeated its warned {that a} “poisonous combine” of low vaccination protection and low testing charges was creating fertile breeding floor for brand new Covid-19 variants.
Dozens of nations have imposed stricter journey guidelines, and the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) mentioned on Wednesday it was requiring all air travellers getting into the nation to indicate a detrimental Covid-19 take a look at carried out inside someday of departure.
Fifty-six nations have been reportedly implementing journey measures to protect towards Omicron regardless of warnings by the WHO that “introducing blunt, blanket measures … will solely worsen inequities”.
Paradoxically, van Kerkhove added, journey bans imposed on southern African nations had created issues in transport samples of the brand new variant to well being specialists for evaluation.
Nevertheless, a report on Wednesday suggesting that retrospective evaluation in Nigeria had discovered proof of Omicron as early as October – elevating fears it had been circulating weeks sooner than first thought – proved to be incorrect.
In reality, the genetic sequence recognized in October was for the prevalent Delta variant of the virus, Nigerian well being authorities mentioned.
Saudi Arabia turned the primary Gulf state to establish an Omicron case on Wednesday. Authorities in Riyadh mentioned the variant had been recognized in a traveller arriving from a north African nation, with out naming it.
In Asia, South Korea confirmed its first instances, and Japan requested worldwide airways to cease taking new reservations for all flights arriving within the nation till the top of December in an extra tightening of already strict border controls. The transportation ministry mentioned the request was an emergency precaution.
The transfer by the world’s third-largest financial system, coupled with its current return to a ban on overseas guests, is among the many most stringent anyplace, and extra in step with its cloistered neighbour China than with another democracies within the area.
This week the World Well being Group urged nations to keep away from blanket journey bans.
Japan has confirmed a second case of the Omicron variant in an individual who arrived from Peru, someday after it reported its first case in a Namibian diplomat.
Scientists are working frantically to find out how threatening Omicron is. A lot stays unknown concerning the new variant, together with whether or not it’s extra contagious, whether or not it makes individuals extra critically unwell, and whether or not it might thwart the vaccine.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the highest US infectious illness skilled, mentioned extra could be recognized concerning the variant in two to 4 weeks as scientists develop and take a look at lab samples of the virus.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday the WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, mentioned the company believed the prevailing Covid-19 vaccines would work towards the variant in stopping extreme illness, echoing current remarks by some vaccine producers.
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