• The Omicron variant is in Europe, the first case in Belgium.

    ECDC: high or very high risk

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  • Omicron variant is dominant in South Africa, Japan cancels the flight block

  • USA: first case of Omicron variant, is in California

  • Vaccines, Omicron effect and Green pass: first and third doses are increasing

  • Omicron, Spallanzani: possible protection with current vaccines

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02 December 2021 "Current evidence on transmissibility," disease severity "and immune runaway is highly uncertain for the variant of concern Omicron" of the pandemic coronavirus. "However, preliminary data from South Africa suggests it may have a substantial growth advantage over the Delta variant. If so, mathematical models indicate that Omicron is expected to cause more than half of all SARS-CoV-2 infections in the Union. European / European Economic Area within the next few months ".



It is one of the assessments reported by the ECDC, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, in the document which assesses the risk associated with the new variant (B.1.1.529), for the first EU / See update. 



"The greater the growth advantage of Omicron compared to the Delta variant and its circulation in the EU / See - reads the Ecdc assessment - the shorter the expected time before Omicron causes most of all Sars infections. -CoV-2 ".



"First detected on 11 November in Botswana, the number of countries reporting Omicron cases globally and in the EU continues to increase," the experts recalled. "There are numerous uncertainties surrounding Omicron in terms of transmissibility and severity", but "preliminary data suggests a substantial advantage over the Delta variant." 



In Europe 70 cases in 13 countries


The number of countries reporting cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to increase globally, with a total of 352 confirmed cases reported from 27 countries, including 70 confirmed cases in 13 European countries. Most of the confirmed cases have a history of travel to southern African countries. 



"Most of the confirmed cases - the ECDC reiterates - have a history of travel to southern African countries" and some of them "have taken connecting flights to other destinations between Africa and Europe. Several European countries have already reported a subsequent community or domestic transmission ". Once again it is specified by the ECDC that "all cases for which information on severity is available were asymptomatic or mild" and that, "to date, there have been no serious cases and no deaths reported among these cases".



Hypothesis of a decline in protection for the recovered and vaccinated


"The presence of multiple mutations in the Spike protein of the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2 indicates a high probability of reduction of neutralizing activity by antibodies induced by 'past' infection or vaccination. ' The hypothesis is that there may be a drop in immunity of the vaccinated and cured, but it is not clear by how much. "Preliminary data - explains the ECDC - suggest that Omicron could be associated with an increased risk of reinfection in South Africa. However, in the absence of data on in vitro neutralization, data on vaccination efficacy and further data on reinfection in populations exposed to different variants of Sars-CoV-2 during previous waves, the extent to which Omicron evades or erodes thevaccine-derived immunity or previous infection remains uncertain. "



Aifa: "Unlikely that Omicron will evade vaccines"


About the Omicron variant "we know very little at the moment, it appears to be a more transmissible variant, but we have no signs that it causes a more serious disease, and there is no data yet on its ability to evade vaccine or monoclonal antibody protection. of biological possibility it seems unlikely that, despite its many mutations, it can completely evade all the antibody components that develop following a vaccination ". This was stated by Maria Paola Trotta, coordinator of the crisis unit of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa) dedicated to Covid, on Radio 24. "Perhaps there could be a reduction in effectiveness against infection - he added -, but it is expected that towards severe forms and deaths it can remain at adequate levels.There are still uncertainties and the researchers are busily working on this. "