News of Omicron Variant Surfaces in South Africa

A new variant of the COVID-19 virus known as the Omicron variant has emerged. This new variant surfaced in South Africa. Scientists from the region communicated the existence of the new variant to the World Health Organization (WHO) soon after its discovery. The variant became officially recognized by WHO on November 26th. The name of this variant comes from the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, which WHO been known to do in order to classify other variants of the COVID-19 virus, such as the Delta variant. Not much information is known about this novel variant; because of the lack of full understanding. The question of how effective vaccines, such as ones produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, can protect against the spread of this variant is also unknown. Since a vast amount about this variant remains mysterious, governments around the world have begun to temporarily halt travel to the African countries affected. However, according to Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, who first suspected the existence of this COVID strain, has reported that the symptoms of this strain are “very mild” and can be treated at home.

On the other hand, researchers are continuing to discover the traits of this variant compared to the original COVID-19 virus. According to WHO on the severity of Omicron’s symptoms, “It is not yet clear whether infection with omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of a specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those of other variants.”

Since Omicron’s initial discovery, it has spread across several nations in Southern Africa. WHO has requested that nations begin to implement precautionary tasks to reduce the risk of Omicron transmission. African countries, such as Morocco and Kenya, have begun to take action to curb the spread of the virus. Canceling and altering flights, mandating quarantine orders, and actively testing travelers are some of the measures being taken.

Researchers believe that this variation of the virus has been present in other nations for a significant amount of time before South African officials brought it to the attention of WHO. Cases of the variant have been reported from European countries such as the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany. The United States has also had its first case of the Omicron variant. A traveler from South Africa that landed in Northern California is confirmed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be infected with the variant. The rate of those who are infected with this novel variant is likely to increase within the United States and countries worldwide.

In response to this new variant, the CDC released a statement on their official website stating, “CDC is following the details of the new variant, first reported to the WHO by South Africa. We are grateful to the South African government and its scientists who have openly communicated with the global scientific community and continue to share information about this variant with the US Department of Health and Human Services and CDC. We are working with other US and global public health and industry partners to learn more about this variant, as we continue to monitor its path.”