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How the world is fighting the Omicron strain – a new virus


The use of vaccines alone will not allow the world to get out of the crisis caused by the new strain, say the WHO. Other measures must be followed, including social distancing, masking and hand hygiene.

A new strain of coronavirus Omicron has already been identified in 89 countries of the world, its incidence doubles every one and a half days. Omicron spreads faster, as it infects both vaccinated and recovered patients, according to WHO.

The world is preparing for the introduction of new restrictions: they will even affect the Christmas holidays, which they previously tried to save. No exceptions are made even for countries where almost 90 percent of the population is vaccinated. Correspondent.net tells the details.

How Omicron is taking over the world

Imperial College London scientists have published a new study on Omicron. Analyzes of infected Britons – one of the most vaccinated populations – showed that Omicron is five times more infectious for those with coronavirus than other mutations.

Calculations of British experts show that from 400 to 700 thousand new cases of omicron infection per day are possible. In this scenario, between December and April in the UK, between 20 and 34 million people can become infected, that is, about half of the population.

And all this – despite wearing protective masks, keeping distance, closing schools and other restrictive measures that are in force in Britain ..

And this is not the most frightening figure: despite the immunity, the new strain is 70 times more infectious than its predecessors, this is the conclusion of scientists at the University of Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization announced strong evidence on December 20 that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant.

And it is more likely that people vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 could be infected or reinfected, ”said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a briefing in Geneva.

He noted that the use of vaccines alone will not allow the world to get out of this crisis, it is necessary to observe other measures, including social distance, mask regime and hand hygiene.

The head of WHO also called for the postponement of New Year’s holidays to later dates. “Canceling an event is better than losing a life. It is better to cancel the celebration now and do it later than celebrate now and then grieve,” he said.

Gebreyesus noted that the number of deaths from Covid-19 this year exceeds the number of deaths in 2020 from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

The Omicron strain of the coronavirus, as it became known on December 21, is now the dominant variant of COVID-19 in the United States. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, director of the National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases, warned about this yesterday. Omicron achieved this within a week of the first case identified.

“This virus is unusual. [Заболеваемость] doubles every 2-3 days. Already, in some regions of the country, 50 percent of those who are on self-isolation are infected with Omicron. This means that it will prevail, ”said the specialist.

He admitted that in the near future new incidence records will be set in the country, and hospitals will have to face a new wave of workload. This is especially true for regions with low rates of vaccination of the population, Fauci said.

December 21 also became known about the first fatal case from Omicron in the United States. The dead was a 50-year-old unvaccinated resident of a Texas county.

The infectious disease specialist urged those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated, and those who have already completed the procedure to receive a booster dose of the vaccine.

The booster shot again increases the immune defenses by 70 to 75 percent of Omicron and is likely to reduce the risk of severe illness.

However, people who have received the third vaccine should not experience a false sense of security, since they can also become infected and infect others, says Professor Sandra Ziesek, head of the Institute for Medical Virology at the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main.

“A full-fledged defense is formed in the body after many weeks,” and “the virus is much faster,” said Tsizek.

In addition, the virologist notes, contrary to early reports, Omicron is probably as dangerous as Delta. So far, data from the UK and Denmark show that hospitalization rates are not much different now.

Early reports from South Africa were promising as many of those infected with Omicron had mild symptoms. Currently, people with the new variant are being admitted to hospitals, and in the UK, several people have died from the effects of Omicron infection.

At the same time, the population in South Africa is much younger, and many people have already suffered from coronavirus infection, so what is happening there cannot be transferred to the situation in Europe, Tsizek points out.

The head of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, warned that Omicron, despite all the restrictions, will become the dominant strain in Europe in January.

Scientists do not exclude that Omicron may cause a number of events that are difficult to foresee today, therefore they urge politicians to act decisively.

So, last weekend, London declared an emergency situation so that relevant departments have new powers and the ability to make decisions without unnecessary paperwork.

During the day, 93 thousand infections were recorded throughout the UK – this is a record since the beginning of the pandemic. The authorities have canceled almost all football matches. There is also a stricter version of restrictions, the Times newspaper writes.

The decision has not yet been made, but a project providing for the so-called two-week closure – a partial lockdown – exists. We are talking about two-week measures, when pubs and cafes will be able to work only for take-out, and gathering in any enclosed space will be strictly prohibited.

The Netherlands announced a general lockdown until January 14th. All shops in the kingdom will be closed except for those selling essential goods, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums, theaters, hairdressers, sports and entertainment facilities.

The government recommended that residents of the country receive no more than two guests at home at the same time. On Christmas and New Years, it was decided to make an exception, on holidays up to four guests are allowed.

In France, from January 2022, only vaccinated people will be able to get into public places; a negative PCR test will no longer be allowed. In addition, the authorities have reduced the recommendation for booster vaccinations to four months.

Italy is tightening the entry rules: even if a person is vaccinated with two doses, a negative PCR test will be required. Otherwise, a five-day quarantine.

The German authorities intend to tighten the measures in force due to the coronavirus from December 28 against the background of the spread of the Omicron strain. The restrictions will affect both the unvaccinated and the vaccinated, according to Bild, citing a draft decree of the German government.

According to the newspaper, it is planned to limit the number of participants in private meetings to ten people. This will include indoor and outdoor meetings. All clubs and discos will also be closed.

So far, Germany has completely banned entry for Britons. German citizens can return home from the UK, but in the presence of a negative PCR test result and with a mandatory two-week quarantine, even for those who are fully vaccinated.

Switzerland announced the cancellation of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, traditionally held at the end of January.

Among the latest restrictions imposed by the Swiss government is the mandatory work from home for services and businesses that allow this format. Access to bars, restaurants, gyms and other public places is strictly according to vaccine passports.

Austria is also preparing to restrict entry to the country during the holiday season.

In the United States, a serious surge in the incidence has not yet been observed, only in certain regions. US President Joe Biden recently unveiled his strategy for fighting the virus, but has now announced that he will update the guidelines in a special televised address to the nation, scheduled for December 21.

In an attempt to contain the spread of Omicron, Israel is banning its citizens from travel to Germany, the United States, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Canada, Morocco, Portugal, Turkey and Switzerland.

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