Recently, the world received another shock when a new and particularly alarming variant of COVID-19, now called the Omicron variant, was detected in South Africa. Scientists quickly raised the alarm: The warnings were that the Omicron variant might be the worst variant ever.
Still, after a string of bad news over the past few days, we have reason to be optimistic: Initial findings show that most cases of Omicron are “mild” and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccine efficacy against the new variant has so far been visible. there is no reduction.
Speaking to Reuters, a WHO official said that although there is still much unknown about the new variant, most cases are mild according to initial detections. While we don’t have definitive information about the new species, this explanation supports what doctors in the field have said. Omicron typically causes “very, very mild symptoms,” according to South African physician Angelique Coetzee, who was one of the first to suspect a new variant is in circulation. According to reports, there is no loss of smell or taste, and there is no significant drop in oxygen levels. Dr. According to Coetzee, none of the infections he saw resulted in hospitalization, but it should not be forgotten that these early infections are seen in younger individuals.
- What Do We Know About the Omicron Variant?
Dr. “We were able to treat these patients normally at home,” Coetzee told Reuters, adding: “The most predominant clinical complaint was severe fatigue that lasted for a day or two. Headaches and body aches followed immediately.”
A health official in neighboring Botswana reported that 16 of the 19 reported cases of Omicron were completely asymptomatic. While this is a very small sample, it currently means more than 84 percent of cases.
Scientists in South Africa say vaccines are still likely to protect against serious diseases, despite concerns that Omicron may be more contagious. Studies on the exact effect on vaccine efficacy have already begun, but it can be predicted that it will be several weeks before we know for sure.
“We don’t have enough data to determine vaccine efficacy or disease severity against Omicron, so any claim at this stage is not evidence-based,” Raina MacIntyre, professor of global biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, told Bloomberg on Sunday. He continued: “Until now, the virus has not mutated to become less severe – or even the opposite.”
Alongside this good news, WHO also called for an “evidence-based and risk-based approach” to travel bans. More than 50 countries have begun the process of enforcing travel bans aimed at reducing the spread of the new Omicron variant, but WHO has warned that such decisions “put a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods”.
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