New coronavirus variant: Omikron has probably been in Europe for a long time

Status: 11/30/2021 2:58 p.m.

Dutch researchers have discovered traces of omicron in samples that are older than the known cases. It is also unclear whether the previous vaccines will help against the variant. Moderna and BioNTech are working on a new vaccine.

The new Coronavirus variant Omikron has apparently been around in Western Europe for longer than previously assumed. This is indicated by a message from the Dutch health institute RIVM, according to which two local infections with the mutant had been discovered that were up to eleven days ago.

The first reports of cases of the corona variant initially recognized in South Africa were issued last week. According to its own information, the RIVM discovered traces of omicrons in samples dated from November 19 to 23. This means that they are ahead of the positive Omikron cases among the passengers who entered from South Africa last Friday and were tested at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Four months to a new vaccine

The director of the European Medicines Agency EMA, Emer Cooke, said the agency is prepared for Omikron. It will take two weeks to get clues as to whether the current Covid-19 vaccines can cope with the variant. If a new vaccine is needed to counter Omikron, it will take up to four months for one to be approved for use in the EU. “We are prepared,” said Cooke in front of EU parliamentarians, adding that cooperation with the medical industry was already under way to prepare for such an eventuality. “We know that at some point there will be a mutation that means we have to change the current approach.”

Cooke struck more soothing tones than the World Health Organization (WHO), which had classified the global risk from the Omicron variant as “very high” on Monday. The variant could lead to outbreaks with serious consequences, said the WHO. The highest intensity of omicron cases were reported to have been in and around the South African cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Cooke said that the higher average age of the population and higher vaccination rates resulted in a different situation for Europe as a whole. So far, the available vaccines have dealt with all virus variants. A growing number of countries around the world are reporting discoveries of the new virus variant or reacting to the spread by restricting air traffic as scientists try at full speed to find out exactly how dangerous Omikron is.

Moderna boss sees poorer protection

Moderna boss Stephane Bancel assumes a lower effectiveness of the current Covid-19 vaccines against the new Omikron variant. The protection should not be on the same level as with the highly contagious Delta variant, said Bancel of the “Financial Times”. “I think it’s going to be a significant drop. I just don’t know how much because we’re going to have to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve talked to are of the opinion, ‘This is not going to be good’.”

The University of Oxford, partner of the Moderna rival AstraZeneca, sees no evidence of a lack of protection against serious disease courses at Omikron. So far, there is only limited data on the variant. However, should it be necessary, a new version of the vaccine could be developed quickly.

Moderna and the Mainz-based manufacturer BioNTech have already started work on a new vaccine against the Omikron variant. BioNTech had stated, however, that it was not yet clear whether an adjustment of its vaccine was necessary and expects more clarity about this in about two weeks after laboratory tests.

Cases discovered in France and Japan

On Tuesday, France and Japan confirmed the first cases of omicron evidence. The French authorities confirmed an infection with the new coronavirus variant for the first time in the overseas department of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Patrick Mavingui, a microbiologist at the island’s infectious disease research clinic, said a 53-year-old man who traveled to Mozambique before returning to Réunion and stopped over in South Africa tested positive for the virus variant. Quarantine was ordered for the man. He has muscle pain and is tired, said Mavingui, according to the television station Réunion 1ere.

In Japan, the new corona variant was detected in a man who recently entered from Namibia, as cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno announced. The patient is in his thirties. He was said to have tested positive on the Sunday after arriving at the airport and then isolated. A genome analysis then showed on Tuesday that he was infected with the variant first recognized in South Africa. The man is being treated in a clinic.

As a precautionary measure, Japan had only imposed an entry ban on all foreigners on Monday. The regulation applies from this Tuesday. Cambodia imposed entry bans on travelers from ten African countries, citing the threat posed by the Omikron variant. Just two weeks earlier, the country had reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers.

More cases in Israel

Two doctors at the Schiba Hospital near the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv were also infected with the Omikron variant. A spokesman for the clinic said one of the two cardiologists had returned from a medical conference in London and infected his colleague after his return. This means that four Omicron cases have been confirmed in Israel so far, and there are still several suspected cases.

Both cardiologists were vaccinated three times with the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine, the spokesman said. So far, they have shown a mild course of the disease and would have isolated themselves at home. The returnees only tested positive after arriving in Israel. It was unclear where exactly he was infected in London, said the spokesman. The Israeli government decided on Sunday to reintroduce the controversial cell phone monitoring of sick people to contain the new variant.

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