Reuters.- The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is not yet clear if the new variant of the omicron coronavirus is more transmissible compared to other SARS-CoV-2 mutations or if it causes a more serious disease.
“Preliminary data suggest that there is an increase in hospitalization rates in South Africa, but this may be due to the rise in the total number of infected people, rather than the result of a specific omicron infection,” he said.
However, in a statement, the agency reiterated that preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection from the variant.
The WHO said it is working with technical experts to understand the potential impact of the variant on existing countermeasures against the COVID-19 disease, including vaccines.
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“There is currently no information to suggest that the symptoms associated with omicron are different from those of other variants,” the WHO said.
“Initially reported infections were among college students, younger individuals who tend to have milder disease, but understanding the level of severity of the omicron variant will take days to several weeks,” he said.
PCR tests continue to detect omicron infection, which was first discovered in South Africa earlier this month, and studies are underway to determine if there is any impact on rapid antigen detection tests, the WHO said.
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