First Omicron data points to Covid re-infection risk
A week after the variant was named Omicron, the world is still scrambling to understand the true threat posed by the variant. But now the first pieces of a large and complex puzzle are starting to be assembled.it is leading to a surge in cases there.
However, they are now detecting a spike in re-infections. They have not tested each patient to prove it is Omicron, but they say the timing suggests the variant is the driving force.Prof Juliet Pulliam, from Stellenbosch University and one of the researchers, said: "These findings suggest that Omicron's selection advantage is at least partially driven by an increased ability to infect previously infected individuals.
But Prof Pulliam stressed they "cannot make any assessment of whether Omicron also evades vaccine-derived immunity" because they did not have that data.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tell us: how have you been affected by the Covid Omicron variant?We would like to hear how you have been affected by the new variant first identified in the southern Africa region
Read more »
Young child becomes Australia's ninth Omicron Covid caseA child too young to be vaccinated has become Australia's eighth Omicron Covid case, with his family arriving on flight QR908 from Doha to Sydney on November 23.
Read more »
South Africa Covid cases double as fears grow over omicron spreadScientists are concerned the new Covid variant may be more transmissible than delta
Read more »
Omicron variant fuelling ‘exponential’ rise in Covid cases, say South Africa officialsNearly three-quarters of virus genomes sequenced last month were of new variant, say South African health officials
Read more »
Will the Omicron Covid variant cancel Christmas?A new Covid variant first identified in South Africa is spreading around the world, with leaders rushing to respond. Our science correspondent Nicola Davis outlines what we know so far about the Omicron variant
Read more »