According to Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and one of the creators of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the mutations in the “Omicron” variant are not new. The various mutations already exist in the previous variants. Pollard said that it is “extremely unlikely” that the Omicron variant will lead to a new surge in severe cases of Covid-19.
Nevertheless, the British Labour called for a new lockdown, vaccine passports, and suggested that people get repeat shots every FIVE months.
Meanwhile, Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, is studying the variant. She says, “It may be it’s highly transmissible, but so far, the cases we are seeing are extremely mild.”
She also stated, “The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus results in mild disease, without prominent symptoms.”
The Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa three weeks ago.
South Africa has seen a slight increase in people testing positive for coronavirus but has not seen any surge in severe cases. The variant is believed to have a substantial presence in Botswana as well. Almost no one is vaccinated in this country, but they have not seen any surge in severe cases.
The variant has likely already spread across all of Africa. The first confirmed case in Belgium is from a man who recently visited Turkey and Egypt but did not go to sub-Saharan Africa.
#NuVariant #SouthAfrica
..so far what we have seen is very, very mild cases ..”#Omnicron #B11529 pic.twitter.com/g36tVfmqah— Wiener Chronist (@Wiener_Chronist) November 27, 2021
