RT.com
02 Dec 2021, 23:43 GMT+10
The Omicron coronavirus variant is expected to overtake the currently-dominant Delta strain and cause over half of all Covid-19 cases in the bloc within the ?next few months,? an EU health agency has said.
An early risk assessment of the Omicron 'variant of concern' (VOC) was released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Thursday. The new strain is expected to spread rapidly across the bloc in the months to come, challenging the dominance of the Delta strain, which itself had effectively wrestled out all other variants of Covid-19.
"Current evidence on transmissibility, severity, and immune escape is highly uncertain for the Omicron VOC. However, preliminary data from South Africa suggest that it may have a substantial growth advantage over the Delta VOC," the watchdog said.
The Omicron strain was identified as a VOC by the World Health Organization (WHO) last week. The new variant was first detected in Botswana early in November and is believed to have already become dominant in southern Africa.
While little is yet known about its properties and potential impact, Omicron has been flagged as a heavily-mutated strain, with experts warning it has apparently become well-adapted to interact with human cells.
The new variant has already spread to more than 20 countries around the world, including multiple EU nations and the US. The emergence of Omicron has prompted new restrictions, including travel bans from the hotbed region, rolled out by multiple countries worldwide, including all the 27 EU members, as well as the US and the UK.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Belgium Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Belgium Sun.
More InformationDUBLIN, Ireland: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has issued a strong safety warning ahead of this weekend's expected...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Irish Rail incurred over 26,000 euros in damages due to a series of graffiti incidents carried out by a 24-year-old...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed cautious optimism that the European Union and the United States can strike...
ZAGREB, Croatia: A massive concert by popular Croatian singer Marko Perković, known by his stage name Thompson, has drawn widespread...
The family of Sayfollah Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West...
CONCORD, New Hampshire: A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a crucial ruling on July 10 against President Donald Trump's executive...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...