World scrambles to contain Omicron
Variant a wake-up call to vaccine inequality as leaders, scientists urge better access
The new and potentially more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European, American and Asian countries, sending governments around the world scrambling to halt its spread.
Experts and leaders are calling for accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines to reduce risks of infections, echoing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who said the Omicron variant is a wake-up call to vaccine inequality.
Although South Africa was first to identify and report the coronavirus variant named Omicron by the World Health Organization, the variant had been detected in the Netherlands in test samples taken from Nov 19 to 23, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, also known as RIVM, announced on Nov 30.
“In a special PCR test, the samples showed an abnormality in the spike protein,” the RIVM stated. “This raised the concern that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus might be involved.”
Two samples were confirmed as Omicron. It is not yet clear whether the people tested had recently visited the southern African region. RIVM has alerted the Municipal Public Health Services, or GGD, in the regions where the samples were taken. The GGD will notify the people involved and start source and contact tracing.
“Laboratory tests identified several different strains of the Omicron variant,” the RIVM stated. “This means that the people were very probably infected independently from each other, from different sources and in different locations.”
Countries are once again on high alert. Omicron cases have been reported in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Hong Kong of China, Portugal, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United States.
Because of the variant’s potential to be more resistant to vaccines, there are growing concerns that the pandemic and lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer.
It could take “days to several weeks” to understand the level of severity of the variant, said the WHO, which flagged Omicron as a “variant of concern”.
As much remains unknown, including whether the variant is more contagious, more likely to cause serious illness or more resistant to vaccines, the WHO has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied.
The health agency urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations. In a travel advisory, the WHO said bans could ultimately dissuade countries from sharing data about the evolving virus.
The likely futility of broad travel restrictions was underscored as more European authorities reported that Omicron was present before South Africa’s initial report on Nov 25.
Even before the US detected its first Omicron case in California on Dec 1, top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci warned of the spread in the country.
“When you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility … it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over,” Fauci, who advises US President Joe Biden, said on NBC television.
The US patient who tested positive for Omicron was fully vaccinated, had mild symptoms that are improving and is self-quarantining. All close contacts have tested negative.
The US barred entry to most travelers from eight southern African countries starting on Nov 29, a move that drew complaints from South Africa and others. More nations have followed suit and put in place travel restrictions, mostly on South Africa and other countries in the southern African region.
South Africa has denounced the measures as unfair and potentially harmful to the economy, saying it was being punished for its scientific ability to identify variants early.
“The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant,” President Ramaphosa said on Nov 29. “The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries, and undermine the ability to respond to, and also to recover from, the pandemic.”
Some experts said the variant’s emergence illustrated how rich countries’ hoarding of vaccines threatens to prolong the pandemic.
Less than 6 percent of people in Africa have been fully immunized against COVID-19, and millions of health workers and vulnerable populations have yet to receive a single dose. Those conditions can speed up spread of the virus, offering more opportunities for it to evolve.
“One of the key factors to the emergence of variants may well be low vaccination rates in parts of the world,” said Peter Openshaw, a professor at Imperial College London.
Michelle Groome, head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response at the institute in South Africa, said responsible actions and adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions are key to limiting the impact of a fourth wave.
In Germany, the Max von Pettenkofer Institute, a microbiology center in Munich, said the Omicron variant was confirmed in two travelers who arrived on a flight from South Africa on Nov 24.
On Nov 29, Portuguese health authorities said they had identified 13 cases of Omicron at the Lisbon-based Belenenses soccer club.
An Italian who had traveled to Mozambique on business landed in Rome on Nov 11 and returned to his home near Naples. He and five family members, including two school-age children, have since tested positive, Italian news agency LaPresse reported.
In Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acted more drastically by closing Japan’s borders to all foreigners from midnight on Nov 30.
“Japan will first of all ban the entry of foreigners,” he told reporters, adding that Japanese returning from specified nations would face quarantine in designated facilities.
In closing its borders to foreigners, Japan joined Israel in the Middle East in taking the toughest measures against the new variant.
Israel’s ban took effect from midnight on Nov 28, and the country has also vowed to use counterterrorism phone-tracking technology to combat Omicron.
Morocco said on Nov 28 that it will halt all inbound international passenger flights for two weeks.
On Nov 29, Singapore and Malaysia reopened one of the world’s busiest land borders, allowing vaccinated travelers to cross for the first time since the shutters came down nearly two years ago. Although travelers welcomed the chance to reunite with family and friends, there were concerns the border might be closed again due to Omicron.
As many as 300,000 Malaysians commuted daily to Singapore before the pandemic. The sudden closure of the border in March 2020 left tens of thousands stranded on both sides.
At the Queen Street bus terminal in Singapore, a few dozen people waiting to board the first buses to Malaysia expressed caution.
“The borders may close soon because of the new variant,” said Eugene Ho, a 31-year-old banker leaving Singapore for the first time in nearly two years. “I am actually very worried about getting stuck.”
Travelers must test negative for COVID-19 before departure, and also take an on-arrival test.
Australia said it would review plans to reopen its borders to skilled migrants and students from Dec 1, after reporting its first Omicron cases.
The Philippines imposed travel restrictions on seven European countries on Nov 28 to keep the Omicron variant out, adding to a new total of 14 flagged countries and regions.
The variant’s swift spread among young people in South Africa has alarmed health professionals even if there was no clear indication that it causes more severe disease.
However, Fiji reopened its border to international travelers for the first time in nearly two years on Dec 1 to revive its tourism industry. Fiji shut its border to all foreign nationals in March 2020.
With about 90 percent of all Fijian adults now fully vaccinated, the nation has reopened to tourists from a small number of countries.
Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, expressed cautious optimism that existing vaccines could be effective at preventing serious disease from the variant, noting that most of the mutations appear to be in similar regions as those in other variants.
Financial markets regained some composure as investors awaited more details on the variant, after sinking in November on fears the new virus strain could bring fresh curbs, threatening a nascent economic revival from the two-year pandemic.