No deaths reported yet linked to Omicon

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently has no information on a possible death linked to the new Omicron variant, a spokesperson for the organization in Geneva said on Friday.

The new variant, classified as worrying by the WHO, was first detected in southern Africa but since the South African health authorities alerted the WHO on November 24, infections with Omicron have been observed in around 30 countries. on all continents.

Local Omicron transmissions in the United States and Australia

The first cases of local transmission of the Omicron variant have been reported in the United States and Australia.

Among the ten confirmed cases in the United States, one person did not travel overseas, only to New York, and another did not travel at all, showing that the variant has started to be transmitted to the interior of the country.

Australia announced on Friday that it had detected, in Sydney, three first cases of the Omicron variant, in three students, despite the ban on foreigners from entering its territory and restrictions on flights to southern Africa.

Norway: at least 17 suspected cases of Omicron variant after party

At least 17 people could have contracted the Omicron variant after a Christmas dinner hosted by their employer last week in Oslo, after which more than half of the roughly 100 participants, who were all vaccinated, tested positive, a indicated the municipality on Friday.

One of the people had recently traveled to southern Africa.

South Africa: peak infections in children

In South Africa, where cases are increasing with the new variant, a spike in infections among children was reported Friday by health authorities without being able to say whether Omicron is affecting them more.

"The incidence among those under 5 is now the second highest, just behind those over 60," said Dr Wassila Jassat, public health specialist at the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD ).

France: vaccination of children at risk in mid-December

In France, the vaccination against Covid-19 will be open "mid-end of December" to children aged 5 to 11 who are at risk of developing serious forms and probably to other children in January in a "progressive and optional" manner, Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced on Friday.

Beijing Olympics: a site could ban spectators

One of the major venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics (February 4-20), the National Sports Palace, will require spectators to be vaccinated, but spectators could be completely banned from access if the epidemic takes hold. is getting worse in China, according to official media.

More than 5.2 million dead

The pandemic has killed at least 5,233,111 people around the world since the end of 2019, according to a report established on Friday at 11:00 GMT by AFP from official sources.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 785,912 dead, ahead of Brazil (615,179), India (470,115), Mexico (294,715) and Russia (278,857).

The WHO estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic in the world could be two to three times higher than that calculated from official figures.

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© 2021 AFP