It is not clear whether infection with ‘Omicron’ causes more severe disease.
New Delhi:
The World Health Organization or WHO earlier this week flagged off the coronavirus strain B.1.1.529, a form of concern, named ‘Omicron’, and released its latest findings on Sunday amid growing concern around the world.
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According to the WHO, preliminary evidence suggests that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with ‘Omicron’ – people who have previously had COVID-19 are more easily reinfected with this type. may become infected.
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It is not yet clear whether ‘Omicron’ is more transmissible (spread more easily from person to person) than Delta and other variants. For now, RT-PCR tests can detect the strain.
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WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this type on vaccines.
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It is not clear whether infection with ‘Omicron’ causes more severe disease. There is currently no information to suggest that the symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those of other types.
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Preliminary data suggest hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to an increase in the total number of people being infected as a result of the ‘Omicron’ specific infection. The initial reported infections were included in university studies – young individuals with mild symptoms – but it would take several days to several weeks to understand the level of severity of the ‘Omicron’ variant.
Watch the full briefing here:
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