BRUSSELS (AP) — The omicron variant was already within the Netherlands when South Africa alerted the World Well being Group about it final week, Dutch well being authorities mentioned Tuesday, including to worry and confusion over the brand new model of the coronavirus in a weary world hoping it had left the worst of the pandemic behind.
The Netherlands’ RIVM well being institute discovered omicron in samples relationship from Nov. 19 and 23. The WHO mentioned South Africa first reported the the variant to the U.N. wholesome company on Nov. 24.
It stays unclear the place or when the variant first emerged — however that hasn’t stopped cautious nations from dashing to impose journey restrictions, particularly on guests coming from southern Africa. These strikes have been criticized by South Africa and the WHO has urged in opposition to them, noting their restricted impact.
A lot continues to be not identified in regards to the variant — although the WHO warned that the worldwide danger from the variant is “very excessive” and early proof suggests it might be extra contagious.
READ MORE: CDC recommends COVID boosters for all adults as omicron variant spreads
The Dutch announcement Tuesday additional muddies the timeline on when the brand new variant truly emerged. Beforehand, the Dutch had mentioned they discovered the variant amongst passengers who got here from South Africa on Friday — however these new circumstances predate that.
Authorities within the japanese German metropolis of Leipzig, in the meantime, mentioned Tuesday they’d confirmed an an infection with the omicron variant in a 39-year-old man who had neither been overseas nor had contact with anybody who had been, information company dpa reported. Leipzig is within the japanese state of Saxony, which at present has Germany’s highest general coronavirus an infection charges.
In the meantime, Japan and France introduced their first circumstances of the brand new variant on Tuesday.
French authorities confirmed its presence within the French island territory of Reunion within the Indian Ocean. Patrick Mavingui, a microbiologist on the island’s analysis clinic for infectious illnesses, mentioned the one who has examined optimistic for the brand new variant is a 53-year-old man who had traveled to Mozambique and stopped in South Africa earlier than returning to Reunion.
The person was positioned in quarantine. He has “muscle ache and fatigue,” Mavingui mentioned, in line with public tv Reunion 1ere.
A day after banning all overseas guests as an emergency precaution in opposition to the variant, Japan additionally confirmed its first case, in a customer who had traveled from Namibia. A authorities spokesperson mentioned the affected person, a person in his 30s, examined optimistic upon arrival at Narita airport on Sunday and was remoted and is being handled at a hospital.
Journey bans additionally continued to fall Tuesday.
Cambodia barred entry to vacationers from 10 African nations, citing the menace from the variant. The transfer got here simply two weeks after Cambodia reopened its borders to completely vaccinated vacationers.
Whereas it has urged in opposition to border closures, the WHO has burdened that whereas scientists are looking proof to higher perceive this variant, nations ought to speed up vaccinations as shortly as attainable.
WHO mentioned there are “appreciable uncertainties” in regards to the omicron variant. However it mentioned preliminary proof raises the likelihood that the variant has mutations that would assist it each evade an immune-system response and enhance its means to unfold from one individual to a different.
Regardless of the worldwide fear, medical doctors in South Africa are reporting sufferers are struggling largely delicate signs thus far. However they warn that it’s early and a lot of the new circumstances are in individuals of their 20s and 30s, who usually don’t get as sick from COVID-19 as older sufferers.
