Omicron present in the Netherlands since November 19, before South Africa

Posters on compulsory masks and the need to respect social distancing in Nijmegen, eastern Netherlands, on Sunday, November 28, 2021. © AP Photo / Peter Dejong

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The new variant of Covid-19 is spreading and worrying the world.

The Dutch health authorities announced on Tuesday, November 30 that they had already detected Omicron in a test taken on November 19.

That is almost a week before the announcement of the case by South Africa.

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The Omicron variant has already been detected in two test samples taken in the Netherlands on November 19 and 23, the Dutch Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM) said on Tuesday.

Checks are underway to see how far it has spread. 

The Netherlands reported on Monday 14 passengers arriving from South Africa carrying Omicron.

However, the two samples had been taken even before Pretoria reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) that it had detected this new variant on November 24, causing a wave of panic and a ban on many territories for travelers from the

Southern Africa

.

The traceability of cases detected during observation

Other cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Europe in samples taken before South Africa was even announced.

Belgium was notably the first European country to identify the Omicron variant on a patient “

 who came from abroad.

Tested positively [for the coronavirus] on November 22, 

”the Belgian Minister of Health had specified on November 26.

It is not yet possible to know

"if the people concerned [in the previous cases] also went to southern Africa 

", specified the RIVM, adding that those tested had been informed and that the municipal health services had. started investigating their contacts.

“ 

In the coming period, various studies will be carried out on the spread of the Omicron variant in the Netherlands, 

” the institute said, adding that it would review more samples from previous tests.

With 16 cases now confirmed, the Netherlands has one of the highest figures of contamination by the new variant in 

Europe

at this stage.

The threat to the Old Continent is growing, although little is known about Omicron as yet.

To read also: Variant Omicron: give scientists time to analyze the phenomenon

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  • Netherlands

  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine