Omicron variant was in Belgium, Germany before South Africa: Report

While countries were punishing South Africa for detecting the new Omicron variant by issuing travel bans European countries like Belgium Germany and the Netherlands already had the super mutant strain claim reportsSouth African health officials alerted the world on November 24 about the existence of the new variant B11529 with 32 mutations Two days later the World Health Organisation WHO assigned the Greek letter Omicron to the variant and said the new strain may pose a higher risk of reinfection than past mutations of the virusGenome sequencing and other genetic analysis showed that the B11529 variant was responsible for all 77 of the virus samples analysed from Gauteng in South Africa collected between November 12 and 20However sample tests in Belgium and Germany now confirm that the variant was present in their countries before November 24 CBS News reported According to authorities in Belgium the infected person had previously visited EgyptIn Belgium one sample was confirmed as the novel B11529 variant in a returning traveller from Egypt 1111 first symptoms on 2211 Belgian public health doctor Marc Van Ranst wrote on TwitterSeveral mutations typical of Omicron were found last night on a returnee from South Africa So there is a high level of suspicion that the person has been isolated at home The complete sequencing is still pending at the current time the German Minister of State for Social Affairs and Integration wrote on TwitterAccording to Dutch health authorities they found the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in cases dating back as long as 11 days indicating that it was already spreading in western Europe before the first cases were identified in southern AfricaThe RIVM health institute under Dutch Health Ministry said it found Omicron in samples dating from November 19 and 23Those findings predate the positive cases found among passengers who came from South Africa last Friday and were tested at Amsterdams Schiphol airportIt is not yet clear whether the people concerned in the earlier cases have also been to southern Africa the RIVM said adding that the individuals had been informed of their Omicron infections and that local health services had started contact tracingIn the coming period various studies will be conducted into the distribution of the Omicron variant in the Netherlands the institute said noting that it would also reexamine more samples from previous Covid test resultsOmicron is now spread to about 20 other countries and raises concern that it could be more transmissible than other variants of the coronavirus As a result several countries including the US Canada the UK the European Union and Japan announced almost immediate travel bans from South Africa and other southern African nationsItalys National Health Institute revealed that the first Omicron infection case was detected in Milan The infected person returned from MozambiqueBrazil Saudi Arabia Japan and France have also confirmed cases of the new variant as countries around the world scrambled to close their doors and scientists raced to test existing drugs against it While it remains unclear whether the Omicron strain makes people more severely ill than the alreadywellknown variants the WHO has warned that the global risk it poses is very high based on early evidenceAlso Read Nigeria detects first case of Omicron variant from OctoberThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever