New Delhi: The new coronavirus version B.1.1529, named ‘Omicron’, has been designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. The variant, first discovered in South Africa, has spread to various countries such as Botswana, Israel, Hong Kong and Belgium.
The WHO said on Friday that the new variant may be more transmissible than other forms and that preliminary evidence has suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection.
Many countries have closed their borders to travelers coming from South Africa and the stock markets were on a downtrend.
The Technical Advisory Group on the Development of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus met today to review what is known about it #COVID-19 Variant B.1.1.1.529.
He advised the WHO that it should be designated a variant of the concern.
According to the naming protocol, WHO has named it Omicron. https://t.co/bSbVas9yds pic.twitter.com/Gev1zIt1Ek— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 26, 2021
flight stop
As reported by Reuters, the United States will impose travel restrictions from South Africa and neighboring countries from Monday.
Canada has already imposed entry restrictions for people arriving from seven countries, including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, AFP reported.
India has also tightened rules for passengers coming from 12 countries. These countries include South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Israel, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. According to the ANI report, passengers arriving from these countries will have to undergo additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing for the infection.
Several other countries such as Japan, Israel, Turkey, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates have also imposed strict travel restrictions.
Read also: New Covid-19 strain ‘Omicron’ found in Africa is ‘a variant of anxiety’, says WHO
sinking market
Panic ran in the financial markets as the new version set its foot. According to a Reuters report, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 2.5 percent. It was recorded as the worst day since October 2020. European stocks also had their worst day in 17 months.
Oil stocks also lost $10 a barrel.
Cruise operators such as Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line each fell by more than 10 percent. Shares of airline companies like United Airlines, Delta Airlines and American Airlines have also declined by almost the same figure.
‘Borders closed’
While countries are closing their borders, experts say that it may be too late for this action. Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, said, “Most likely, the virus is already elsewhere. And so if we close the door now, it will probably be too late.,
WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan also said, “It’s really important that there is no knee-jerk reaction.”
There are experts who have expressed their dismay at the closure of borders since the Omicron version was announced. Richard Lessels, an infectious disease specialist from South Africa, said the focus should be on increasing the number of vaccinations where people have not received enough shots.
“That’s why we talked about the risks of the apartheid vaccine. This virus can develop in the absence of adequate levels of vaccination,” he said.
The report said that according to medical and human rights groups, while developed countries have begun administering third booster shots, only 7 percent of the population in low-income countries have been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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