Once again the atmosphere of dread and fear is looming across the world as a new covid variant ‘Omicron’ is spreading with a greater intensity as compared to those earlier variants of Covid-19. The WHO has listed Omicron as a ‘variant of concern’ and said it could take several weeks to know if there are significant changes in transmissibility, severity or implications for Covid vaccines, tests, and treatments.
This Variant Was First Identified In South Africa
The new potentially more contagious Covid-19 variant, which was first identified in South Africa, has now popped up in several other countries, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the transmission. Besides, several countries have also banned travellers from South Africa and its neighbouring nations because of the threat of Omicron, the new coronavirus variant.
List Of Countries That Have Reported New Covid Variant
1) Australia
The Australian health department has detected the Covid Omicron strain in two passengers in Sydney. Both passengers came from southern Africa and arrived in Australia on a Qatar Airways flight via Doha. Another 12 passengers from southern Africa on the same flight did not test positive for Covid but had been placed in quarantine.
2) Italy
The Italian news agency LaPresse says an Italian who traveled to Mozambique has tested positive for the omicron variant. Five family members, including two school-age children, have also tested positive.
3) Germany
The omicron variant was confirmed in two travelers who arrived on a flight from South Africa on November 24. The genome sequencing has yet to be completed, but it is “proven without a doubt that it is this variant,” German news agency dpa reported.
Apart from these European countries other nations like Netherlands, Britain, Israel,Hong Kong, Botswana and Belgium have reported so far. This new variant is so deadly that it can transmit the virus 85% faster than the previous variants of Coronaviruses. No doubt, if this variant is found in India and if the third wave propellant with this, it can prove much deadly as compared to the second wave we all had witnessed.
Source:Hindustan Times
