The two confirmed Omikron infected people in Hong Kong apparently have a very rapidly increasing viral load. The PCR tests of the two men, who were negative a few days earlier, had a Ct value of 18 and 19. “That is incredibly high, especially when you consider that the two were still negative in the last PCR tests” writes the epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, who did research at Harvard University for a long time. It looks as if the variant could actually escape vaccination protection, Feigl-Ding continued.
According to the Hong Kong government, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was introduced by a traveler from South Africa who had been in a quarantine hotel since arriving on November 11. He tested positive on November 13th.
It is assumed that the man infected a 60-year-old in the opposite room of the quarantine hotel, despite strict isolation. This tested positive on November 18th during its fourth PCR test. In both cases, later genome sequencing made it clear that they had been infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
According to a statement by the Hong Kong government, the person entering from South Africa may not have worn an adequate face mask when he opened his hotel door to take food orders. This may be the reason for the infection despite quarantine isolation. (27.11.2021)
WHO classifies Omikron as “very worrying”
The World Health Organization has classified the new Corona variant B.1.1.529 as “worrying”. The UN agency announced on Friday after consultations with experts. According to the WHO definition, this classification is a signal that a variant is more contagious or leads to more severe disease courses. In addition, with “worrying variants” there is a risk that conventional vaccinations, medication or corona measures will be less effective. The WHO stated that the Greek letter omicron had been assigned to the new variant.
The variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are worrying, it said. Preliminary indications indicated an increased risk of reinfection with this variant compared to other worrying variants, which also include the currently predominant delta variant.
According to the WHO, B.1.1.529 was discovered in South Africa using genetic analysis from November 9th. In total, the variant has so far been genetically detected less than 100 times. It has many mutations that scientists believe could potentially lead to easier transmission. However, according to the WHO, it will be weeks before it becomes clear what the exact effects of the mutations are.
So far, the international health authority has identified four “variants of concern”: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, which contributed to the fourth wave of pandemics due to their high transferability. In addition, two “variants of interest” are listed that appeared in South America at the turn of the previous year.
The EU health authority is also concerned. B.1.1.529 is the most deviating variant that has so far been discovered in extensive numbers during the pandemic, said the Stockholm-based authority. This raises serious concerns that it could significantly reduce the effectiveness of corona vaccines and increase the risk of reinfection.
According to ECDC, B.1.1.529 has a large number of gene mutations compared to the original virus. There are still greater uncertainties regarding the transferability, the effectiveness of the vaccines and the risk of re-infection. Nevertheless, the authority considers the likelihood of further introduction and spread of the variant in the European Economic Area to be high. Because of these uncertainties, a precautionary approach is important, wrote the ECDC. It is urgently advised to intensify the implementation of measures such as distance rules and wearing mouth and nose protection. (11/26/2021)
World Trade Organization postponed first ministerial meeting in four years because of Omikron
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has postponed its first ministerial meeting in four years because of the new coronavirus variant. The WTO said its members agreed late Friday to postpone the ministerial conference after the outbreak of the new variant led to travel restrictions that prevented many ministers from reaching Geneva. A new date has not yet been set.
WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the postponement did not mean that negotiations should end. “On the contrary, the delegations in Geneva should be fully in a position to fill as many gaps as possible. This new variant reminds us once again of the urgency of the work that has been assigned to us,” she said in a statement.
Switzerland, the seat of the World Trade Organization, banned direct flights from South Africa and the surrounding regions on Friday and imposed test and quarantine requirements for travel from other countries, including Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. (11/27/2021)
Dozens of passengers on two flights from South Africa infected with corona
Dozens of passengers who landed in Amsterdam from South Africa are infected with the corona virus, according to Dutch authorities. However, it has not yet been clarified whether this is the new virus variant B.1.1.529, the newspaper quoted as saying De Telegraaf the health authorities. Follow-up examinations by the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam should show that. Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on two KLM flights on Friday. The Dutch government had already banned all air travel from southern Africa on Friday morning. Travelers who were already on their way were tested on arrival and then had to be quarantined. (11/27/2021)
Netherlands go into an evening lockdown
In view of the rapidly increasing numbers of infections and patients, the Netherlands are imposing an evening lockdown. Shops, cultural sites, restaurants and sports clubs have to close at 5 p.m. every day. The tightened measures apply from Sunday for an initial three weeks; this was announced by Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague. “In the Netherlands, everything will be closed from 5 p.m. onwards.” Supermarkets are excluded.
Schools should remain open for the time being. However, students ten and older must wear a face mask when they are not in their place. The 1.5 meter distance rule is being extended to cinemas, theaters and restaurants. This means that they can receive fewer visitors. The mask requirement will apply there again. There really has to be a turning point, said Rutte.
The situation at the hospitals in particular is worsening. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge imposed emergency measures so that acute treatments can now also be canceled. In a hospital in Utrecht, 120 military personnel are now being deployed to relieve nursing staff. The state of emergency must be prevented, said de Jonge.
Throughout the country, emergency services had prepared for possible unrest due to the tightened measures. Some people had already been arrested on Friday as a precaution for calling for riots on social networks. Last weekend there had been violent riots all night long. The police are expecting protests over the weekend. (11/26/2021)
EU countries want to suspend passenger flights from southern Africa
In view of a new, possibly more dangerous variant of the corona virus, the EU states want to suspend all passenger flights from seven countries in southern Africa. This affects Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, according to diplomatic circles. The agreement is not binding on the EU countries, but it is reported that all countries supported it.
South Africa’s Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, criticized the reaction as unjustified. The fact that some countries have imposed travel bans runs completely against the norms and standards of the World Health Organization. South Africa is behaving transparently. At the same time Phaala admitted that the variant might be more easily transferable according to preliminary study findings. Countries outside the EU that have also imposed travel restrictions now include Saudi Arabia, the USA and Russia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently advising against travel restrictions because of the new Corona variant. According to the organization, states could take a number of measures to curb the spread of new variants even without such restrictions, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier. This included the precise observation of the infection process and the genetic analysis of any corona cases. The organization is currently examining whether the new variant should be classified as “worrying” and to what extent the variant also has consequences for diagnostics, therapies and vaccination campaigns. (11/26/2021)
New virus variant: Belgium registers first case in Europe
The spread of variant B.1.1.529 in southern Africa is causing international concern. Israel and Belgium have now also registered the first person infected with the new mutant. Experts fear that the new virus variant, due to an unusually large number of mutations, could not only be highly contagious, but also penetrate the protective shield of the vaccines more easily. “The scientists are all very alarmed,” said the executive head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU), in the ARD morning magazine. That is why talks are being held with the Robert Koch Institute. The EU health authority ECDC wants to give an assessment of the newly emerged Corona variant B.1.1.529 on Friday.
Because of the spread of the new variant in, the federal government is drastically restricting entry from a total of eight countries in the region. South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi and Lesotho will be classified as virus variant areas from Sunday at midnight, as the Robert Koch Institute announced on Friday.
The vaccine manufacturer Biontech is currently checking whether its corona vaccine is also effective against the new virus variant that has emerged in South Africa. “We expect further data from the laboratory tests in two weeks at the latest,” announced Biontech. These would provide information on whether an adaptation of the vaccine was necessary.
The South African Institute for Infectious Diseases NICD announced that 22 cases had been detected in South Africa. More cases are to be expected in the course of the ongoing genome analyzes. The variant was also found in Botswana. (25.11.2021)
France announces increased border controls
France announces increased border controls to contain the virus. “We will strengthen it with several measures,” said Minister of Health Olivier Veran, the TF1 channel. Details on this would be determined in the next 24 to 48 hours. The government had previously taken tightened measures to counter a fifth wave of infections. (25.11.2021)