New Delhi: The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 international locations, the World Well being Organisation has stated. In South Korea, the place Omicron variant was first detected, a report variety of Covid-19 instances have been reported.
WHO has warned that the speed of hospitalisation ensuing from SARS-CoV-2 an infection is more likely to enhance. The well being company additionally stated that extra information is required to judge the severity of the illness attributable to the brand new variant.
“Even when the severity is equal or probably even decrease than for delta variant, it’s anticipated that hospitalisations will enhance if extra individuals change into contaminated and that there can be a time lag between a rise within the incidence of instances and a rise within the incidence of deaths,” WHO was quoted as saying in media reviews.
Michael Ryan, Director of Well being Emergencies, WHO, stated in an interview with AFP information company that it was “extremely unlikely” that the brand new variant dodged vaccine protections completely, AFP reported.
Ryan, nonetheless, warned towards drawing full-fledged conclusions from preliminary information and stated that well being authorities have to be cautious about how the info acquired to this point is interpreted.
WHO Director-Normal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned at a press briefing that the Omicron variant can unfold extra quickly than earlier variants, Xinhua information company reported. He additionally stated that sure options of the Omicron variant, together with its world unfold and enormous variety of mutations, recommend it may change the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following are the vital developments on Covid-19 from world wide:
India
India has reported as many as 23 instances of Covid-19 an infection with the Omicron variant. The primary two instances had been reported in Karnataka. This was adopted by one case in Gujarat, and one other in Maharashtra. Seven instances of the Omicron variant had been reported in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Sunday, six of whom belonged to the identical household. No instances of an infection with Omicron have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, a well being official stated Wednesday.
United Kingdom
In a brand new research, UK researchers have discovered {that a} mix-and-match method to Covid-19 vaccines is secure and efficient, and a few mixtures even enhance upon immune responses, as per reviews. Researchers consider that an experimental saliva check can diagnose SARS-CoV-2 an infection in minutes, almost as precisely as gold-standard PCR checks.
UK Well being Minister Matt Hancock stated England has neighborhood transmission of Omicron variant, Reuters reported. A British scientist has stated that the rise in omicron instances within the U.Okay. sheds gentle on what’s subsequent for the U.S, in keeping with reviews.
Africa
South Africa’s well being regulator, South African Well being Merchandise Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) on Wednesday accepted a 3rd booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in keeping with reviews. On the identical day, the nation recorded 20,000 new Covid-19 instances, which is a report excessive for the reason that Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa.
Botswana has not seen an increase in Covid-19 hospitalisation.
Different Developments
BioNTech and Pfizer stated on Wednesday {that a} three-shot course of their Covid-19 vaccine was in a position to neutralise the brand new Omicron variant in a laboratory check and that they might ship an upgraded vaccine in March 2022 if wanted, as per reviews.
On Wednesday, the Meals and Drug Administration cleared a AstraZeneca antibody drug, and authorised it for individuals with critical well being issues, or allergy symptoms. The antibody drug can be appropriate for individuals who can not get sufficient safety from vaccination. That is the primary antibody drug supposed for long-term prevention of Covid-19 an infection, relatively than a short-term therapy.
On Thursday, Cuba detected its first case of Omicron variant, Reuters reported.
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