The Omicron variant is widespread in Europe with at least 13 cases identified in the Netherlands
As more cases are identified and governments around the world mobilize to respond to Omicron, an emergency meeting of G7 health ministers will be convened on Monday, Britain said. It also announced new public health rules in the country on Sunday requiring face coverings in stores and on public transport starting this week.
Omicron was first identified by scientists in South Africa, who issued warnings about its unusually high mutation count on Thursday. Since then, at least dozens of other cases have been confirmed of the new strain of bacteria, with several other suspected cases reported.
In addition to South Africa, the variant has been found in Botswana, Belgium, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Hong Kong.
Biostatistics professor Sheila Bird said the trial results from Amsterdam were concerning, but more data was needed. “There could be household clusters among the 13 Omicron positive sites, or groups could be generated by where the passenger was seated on the flight from South Africa,” she told the Science Media Center. with the Center for Science Communication, adding that the vaccination status and age distribution of those infected would also need to be considered before drawing any conclusions about the variant.
The situation should be viewed with “warning instead of alarm until more is known,” she said.
Variations of Concern
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the Omicron variant, originally known as B.1.1.529, a “variant of concern.”
The WHO said on Friday that early evidence suggests that the Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa, may increase the risk of reinfection, and said that some of the mutations detected on the variant were linked. Mandarin.
But WHO stresses that more research is needed to determine if this variant is more contagious, if it causes more severe disease and if it can evade a vaccine.
“This variant has a large number of mutations, and some of these mutations have some disturbing characteristics,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on Covid-19, said in a statement today. Friday.
“There’s a lot of research going on right now… very little information is available so far but those studies are ongoing so we need researchers to have time to do those studies. and WHO will notify the public and our partners and member states as soon as we have more information,” she added.
New travel bans and quarantine requirements
The discovery of the variant and its rapid spread around the world is an unpleasant reminder that the pandemic is far from over.
But South Africa and several other countries affected by the travel ban are pushing back. Speaking in Pretoria on Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described the bans as baseless discrimination.
“These restrictions are unjustified and unjustly discriminatory against our country and our South African sister nations. Travel bans are not scientifically informed, nor will they be effective in preventing the spread of this variant.The only thing a travel ban will do is further damage the economies of affected countries and weaken their ability to respond and recover. theirs after the pandemic,” he said.
South Africa’s Department of International Cooperation and Relations says the country is being punished for its transparency. “Science excellence should be applauded and not punished. The global community needs cooperation and partnership in managing the Covid-19 pandemic,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The combination of South Africa’s testing capacity and an accelerating immunization program, supported by a world-class scientific community, will give our global partners the comfort that we’re doing and they’re managing the pandemic. South Africa follows and enforces globally recognized Covid-19 health protocols when traveling. No infected individuals are allowed to leave. country,” it added.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera also criticized the travel bans, saying they were “not acceptable.” “Living measures should be based on science, not Afrophobia,” he said on his official Facebook page.
Many experts say the South African scientists deserve credit for their ability to quickly identify risks stemming from the new variant.
The move to impose a ban has also drawn criticism from the WHO. “We’ve seen in the past, the minute has any kind of mention of any kind of variation, and people are closing borders and restricting travel. It’s really important for us to be open and focused. center,” WHO Emergencies Chief Dr Michael Ryan said on Saturday.
“South Africa has a very, very good capacity and capacity to sequence genomes … certainly South Africa and any other country should not be discriminated against for reporting and doing the right thing,” said Michael Head, researcher. Senior Researcher in Global Health at the University of Southampton, told CNN in a phone interview.
However, Head said that the travel ban, if used correctly, could play a role in controlling the outbreak.
“It’s a tough scenario. It could take you a bit of time. So if countries are adopting bans and using that time, it’s at the moment a couple of weeks. , to speed up the rollout of vaccinations to ensure that any new antiviral drugs, he said:
“If you just do a travel ban and say ‘yes it’s done’ then that’s not good for anyone. And if you do, punish countries for reporting new variations. , then we should also find ways to support them, whether it’s infrastructure or funding or doses of vaccine whatever may be appropriate.”
Larry Madowo of CNN in Paris contributed reporting.
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