The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has named the new variant of the coronavirus B.1.1.529, first identified in South Africa, Omicron , and has warned that it could carry a“greater risk of reinfection” , according to the first evidence. preliminary science.
At the meeting held this Friday, the WHO Technical Advisory Group on the Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus has described this variant as “of concern” , since “it presents a large number of mutations, some of which are worrying .”
The WHO defines a variant “of concern” when it has been shown to be associated with one or more of the following changes: increased transmissibility or detrimental change in the epidemiology of Covid-19; increased virulence or change in the clinical presentation of the disease; or decreased effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostic tests, vaccines and treatments.
“Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, compared to others that are also of concern,” the WHO experts say.
According to the report of the United Nations international health organization, this variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on November 24, while the first confirmed infection by this variant that is known comes from a sample collected On the 9th of november.
“In recent weeks, infections have increased considerably, coinciding with the detection of the B.1.1.529 variant. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces of South Africa,” explains the WHO.
Based on early laboratory findings, this variant does not have one of the three target genes (known as S-gene dropout or S-gene target failure) and is therefore considered by the WHO to bePCR “can be used as a marker for this variant, pending confirmation of sequencing.”
More transmissible than Delta
However, experts are concerned that it could be more transmissible than previous variants such as Delta : “Using PCR, this variant has been detected at a faster rate than previous waves of infection, which suggests that this variant may have a growth advantage.”
Before the appearance of this new variant, the countries of the European Union have prohibited flights to or from South Africa and six other African countries for fear that it will spread along these routes. The restrictions affect South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and will apply “for fourteen days” for now.
The decision coincided this Friday with the first confirmed case in Europe of a patient infected with the new Omicron variant. This is a Belgian woman with symptoms of coronavirus who returned from a trip to Egypt 15 days ago.
