U.K. confirms two cases of Omicron coronavirus variant.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times

As the world scrambles to prevent the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant that was first detected in southern Africa, the U.K.’s Health Security Agency confirmed on Saturday that two cases of the variant have been recorded in the country.The cases are said to be linked to travel in southern Africa, the British government confirmed in a statement.

Sajid Javid, Britain’s health secretary, described the new cases as a “stark reminder” that the pandemic was not yet over. “Thanks to our world class genomic sequencing, we have been made aware of two U.K. cases of the Omicron variant,” Mr. Javid said. “We have moved rapidly, and the individuals are self-isolating while contact tracing is ongoing.”

The country’s health agency is now carrying out targeted testing at several locations where the positive cases could potentially have been spread. In addition to the six countries in southern Africa that were added onto Britain’s travel “red list” on Friday to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, an additional four countries, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola, have also been added. Being on the list requires travelers to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/world/europe/uk-cases-omicron-covid.html

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Short article.

[dalton99a]

1. It is possibly already in the U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that it is possible that the Omicron Covid-19 variant is already in the United States but has yet to be detected.

“I would not be surprised if it is, we have not detected it yet, but when you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility and you're having travel-related cases they've noted in other places already, when you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is going to go all over,” Fauci told NBC Saturday.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/new-covid-variant-south-africa-11-27-21/index.html

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I'm sure it is

That is why all the meetings to determine what the molecular profile is for it so that they can test and sequence for it.

So far from what they have sequenced, it has been overwhelmingly Delta, but it will be interesting to see if the sequencing that ID'd Delta may have missed this if the tests weren't sensitive and/or specific enough.

CDC tracks variants here (as a "Nowcast" ) - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions

[totodeinhere]

4. I have a very bad feeling about this.

If this new variant can evade immunity from the vaccines then we are really screwed. And travel ban or not, it WILL get to this country and it will spread like wildfire.