Omicron Variant Is a Concern, Says World Health Organization
Published Date: 11/26/2021
Source: Bloomberg Quicktake: Now
An independent advisory group monitoring the evolution of the coronavirus met Friday to assess current findings of a new variant first reported in South Africa.
The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has advised the World Health Organisation that B.1.1.529 - now named 'Omicron' - be designated as 'variant of concern'.
Since its discovery on November 9, Omicron has coincided with the sudden increase of coronavirus infections in the region.
COVID-19 Technical lead for WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Maria Van Kerkhove, said the variant has "concerning properties" namely because of its "large number of mutations."
Van Kerkhove said studies to understand the characteristics of Omicron will take weeks to see if there's any changes in "severity, any changes in our impact on diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccines."
The panel said early evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection.
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