The new coronavirus variant appears to be more transmissible than its predecessors although most cases have been mild so far, according to scientists advising the South African government.   In South Africa, where omicron was first detected, officials said most new hospital admissions are unvaccinated, and anecdotal evidence suggests they are presenting with similar illnesses as before.  At a briefing Monday, health experts said existing vaccines are still likely to offer good protection against severe effects.  South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said “there is no need to panic” about the new variant and that the reaction of other governments was unjustified. The emergence of the new mutation has sparked a global race to understand how quickly it spreads and how existing vaccines will respond. Cases have been identified in a number of countries, including Canada, the U.K. and Australia, and multiple governments imposed travel restrictions on South Africa and a number of neighboring countries. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Subscribe to our newest channel Quicktake Explained: https://bit.ly/3iERrup Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake