an hour agoThe “Omitron” was in Europe before it was identified in South Africa
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)The new evidence proves that the omicron version of the Coronavirus was present in Western Europe long before the first cases were officially identified in South Africa. Authorities in the Netherlands said they discovered the variant in samples of tests conducted since November 19th, a full week before positive cases detected [...]
Authorities in the Netherlands said they discovered the version in samples of tests conducted on November 19th, a full week before the positive cases discovered last Friday among travelers who arrived in Amsterdam, on a flight from South Africa.
Health officials in Japan and France also confirmed their first cases with omitron on Tuesday, joining a growing list of countries including Britain, Canada, Scotland, Australia, Austria, Spain and Sweden.
The rapid performance and spread of the omicron version prompted Stephanie Bancel, chief executive of the pharmaceutical giant Modern, to warn in an interview with The Financial Times on Tuesday that existing vaccines against COVID-19 may be less effective against the new version compared to the previous delta and variants.
Mr. Bancel's warning caused new concerns in the world's financial markets.
But scientists at Oxford University, who developed a double dose vaccine in collaboration with drug producer AstraZeneca, issued a statement Tuesday saying that current vaccines “have continued to offer very high levels of protection against serious diseases and there is no evidence so far that omitron is different”. The statement also says that if necessary, there are “mmables and possibilities for rapid development of a reinforced vaccine against COVID-19”
Emer Cooke, chief of the European Bars Agency (EMA), the drug regulator for the European Union, also tried to give a security note, telling EU lawmakers in Brussels that current vaccines are still able to cope with the option of Omitron, but if changes are needed, it will take up to four months to approve new versions for use in the 27-nation bloc.
Tuesday's mixed messages come a day after Tedros Adhanom Ghebraesesus, director of the World Health Organisation, said that “many of us think we're done with COVID-19. But, the virus isn't done with the”.
O The BSH said the overall global risk in terms of the omicron version “is rated as too high” even though no related deaths were reported. The threat from the new version prompted the United States and Great Britain to recommend on Monday that all adults receive strengthening vaccines. / VOA/
