London (AP) — According to Italian and German news reports, both countries have identified cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant.
Italian news agency La Presse says Italians traveling to Mozambique tested positive for the omicron variant.
Business travelers landed in Rome on November 11 and returned to their homes near Naples. A family of five, including two school-aged children, also tested positive. All are isolated in good condition with mild symptoms on the outskirts of Naples in Caserta.
The variant was confirmed by the Sacco Hospital in Milan, and the Italian National Institute of Health said the man had been vaccinated twice. The Italian Ministry of Health is urging all regions to increase virus tracking and sequencing to detect cases of the first new variant identified in South Africa.
In Germany, the Max von Pettenkofer Institute, a microbiology center based in Munich, said the Omicron variant was identified in two travelers arriving by plane from South Africa on November 24. Oliver Kepler, the director of the institute, said: Genome sequencing is not yet complete, but “it is definitely proven to be this mutant,” the German press dpa reported.
The UK tightened rules on mask wearing and testing for international arrivals on Saturday after discovering two new, potentially more contagious, Omicron variants of the coronavirus that were identified in South Africa a few days ago.
Because of that fear New variant Concerns are rising around the world as they may be more resistant to the protection provided by the vaccine Pandemic And the associated blockade restrictions last much longer than expected.
Approximately two years have passed since the pandemic that claimed the lives of more than 5 million people around the world began, and countries are becoming more vigilant. Many are already imposing travel restrictions on flights from southern Africa as they are trying to gain time to assess whether the Omicron variant is more contagious than the current predominant Delta variant. doing.
To slow the spread in the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the two needed to take “targeted precautions” after they tested positive for the new variant in the UK.
“For now, this is a responsible course of action to delay the sowing and dissemination of this new variety and maximize our defenses,” he said at a press conference.
In the measures announced, Johnson said that those arriving in the UK must undergo a PCR test for COVID-19 two days after arrival and be self-quarantined until a negative test is obtained. He also said that if someone tests positive for the omicron variant, close contacts should be self-quarantined for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status. Currently, close contacts are exempt from quarantine regulations if they are fully vaccinated.
He also said masks need to be worn in stores and public transport, and an independent group of scientists advising the British government on the deployment of coronavirus vaccines is being called upon to accelerate vaccination programs. This includes expanding the booster program to younger age groups, shortening the period between the second dose and the booster, and allowing older children to receive the second dose. There is a possibility.
“From today, we’re going to boost the booster campaign,” he said.
The UK Department of Health said the two cases found in the UK were related and related to travel from southern Africa. One of the two new cases occurred in the southeastern town of Brentwood, and the other in the central city of Nottingham. The two confirmed cases are self-isolation with the household during contact tracing and targeted testing.
Starting Sunday, the UK Government has added four countries to the national travel red list: Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Six locations were added on Friday: Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This means that anyone authorized to arrive from these destinations must be quarantined.
In response to warnings about the infectivity of new variants, many countries have imposed restrictions on various South African countries over the past two days, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Thailand and the United States. This goes against the World Health Organization’s advice, which warned against overreaction before the variants were thoroughly studied.
Despite the flight ban, there is growing concern that variants are already widely seeded around the world. Cases have been reported in travelers from Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong, in addition to the United Kingdom.
A variant of Omicron was quarantined after arriving in Amsterdam on Friday on two flights from South Africa, the Dutch Public Health Institute said, “probably found in people who had many tests.” The institute said in a statement that further sequence analysis is underway to confirm that it is a new variant. Results were expected on Sunday. A total of 61 people were tested.
Germany also said it suspected three positive cases, but Italy was investigating positive cases from someone who recently returned from southern Africa. Israel said it is tracking 800 travelers who have recently returned from countries in southern Africa.
The rapid spread of the subspecies South Africa It surprised medical professionals, even though there were no immediate signs that the mutant would cause a more serious illness.
Many pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer, said they have plans to adapt the vaccine in the light of the advent of Omicron. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said they expect to be able to fine-tune the vaccine in about 100 days.
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, who developed the AstraZeneca vaccine, was cautiously optimistic that existing vaccines could be effective in preventing serious diseases caused by Omicron mutants, and most mutations. Said they seemed to be in a similar area. In other variants.
“At least from a speculative point of view, there is optimism that the vaccine is also effective against new variants of serious illness, but in reality you have to wait a few weeks for it to be confirmed. “He told BBC Radio.
Some experts said the emergence of this variant indicates that vaccine storage by developed countries could prolong the pandemic.
In Africa, less than 6% of people are fully immunized to COVID-19, and millions of healthcare workers and vulnerable people have not yet received a single dose. These conditions accelerate the spread of the virus and increase the chances of it evolving into a dangerous variant.
“One of the key factors in the emergence of variants could be low vaccination rates in parts of the world. WHO requires us all to be safe and careful. Until then, we warn that no one is safe, “says Professor Peter Openshaw. Of Experimental Medicine at Imperial College London.
Italy and Germany report cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant
Source link Italy and Germany report cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant
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