Omicron variant may have reached Europe earlier than thought

By RAF CASERT and ANDREW MELDRUM

BRUSSELS (AP) — Economic powerhouses Japan and France reported their archetypal cases of the omicron variant Tuesday, portion caller findings bespeak the mutant coronavirus was already successful Europe adjacent to a week earlier South Africa sounded the alarm.

The Netherlands’ RIVM wellness institute disclosed that diligent samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23 were recovered to incorporate the variant. It was past Wednesday, Nov. 24, that South African authorities reported the beingness of the highly mutated microorganism to the World Health Organization.

That indicates omicron had a bigger caput commencement successful the Netherlands than antecedently believed.

Together with the cases successful Japan and France, the uncovering illustrated the trouble successful containing the microorganism successful an property of pitchy question and economical globalization. And it near the satellite erstwhile again whipsawed betwixt hopes of returning to mean and fears that the worst is yet to come.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned successful Latvia that “as agelong arsenic the microorganism is replicating somewhere, it could beryllium mutating,” which could mean it “can decision the existing vaccines oregon induce greater unwellness oregon beryllium much transmissible.”

Much remains chartless astir the caller variant, including conscionable however contagious it is, whether it makes radical much earnestly ill, and whether it tin thwart the vaccine.

But a WHO authoritative said that fixed the increasing fig of omicron cases successful South Africa and neighboring Botswana, parts of confederate Africa could soon beryllium witnessing a steep emergence successful infections.

“There is simply a anticipation that truly we’re going to beryllium seeing a superior doubling oregon tripling of the cases arsenic we determination on oregon arsenic the week unfolds,” said Dr. Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, a WHO determination virologist.

After a play of debased transmission successful South Africa, caller cases began to summation rapidly successful mid-November. The state is present seeing astir 3,000 confirmed caller infections per day.

It is unclear precisely wherever oregon erstwhile the variant archetypal emerged, and Tuesday’s Dutch announcement further muddies the timeline.

Previously, the Netherlands said it recovered the variant among passengers who came from South Africa connected Friday — the aforesaid time the state and different European Union members began imposing formation bans and different restrictions connected confederate Africa. But the recently identified cases predate that.

Belgium reported a lawsuit involving a traveler who returned to the state from Egypt connected Nov. 11 but did not go sick with mild symptoms until Nov. 22.

Japan announced a prohibition connected each overseas visitors starting Tuesday — the aforesaid time the state confirmed its archetypal omicron case, successful a Namibian diplomat who had precocious arrived from his country.

France likewise recorded its archetypal case, successful the land territory of Reunion successful the Indian Ocean. The diligent was identified arsenic a antheral who had returned to Reunion from South Africa and Mozambique connected Nov. 20 — earlier WHO learned of the variant.

Many wellness officials tried to calm fears, insisting that vaccines stay the champion defence and that the satellite indispensable redouble its efforts to get the shots to each portion of the globe.

Emer Cooke, main of the European Medicines Agency, said that the 27-nation EU is good prepared for the variant and that the vaccine could beryllium adapted for usage against omicron wrong 3 oregon 4 months if necessary.

England reacted to the emerging menace by making look coverings mandatory again connected nationalist proscription and successful stores, banks and hairsbreadth salons. And 1 period up of Christmas, the caput of Britain’s Health Security Agency urged radical not to socialize if they don’t request to.

After COVID-19 led to a one-year postponement of the Summer Games, Olympic organizers began to interest astir the February Winter Games successful Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said omicron would “certainly bring immoderate challenges successful presumption of prevention and control.”

World markets continued to seesaw connected each portion of aesculapian news, whether worrisome oregon reassuring. Stocks fell connected Wall Street successful the greeting aft Moderna’s CEO expressed interest astir the effectiveness of the vaccines against omicron.

Around the globe, stocks mostly slipped arsenic investors weighed however overmuch harm the variant mightiness bash to the economy.

Some analysts deliberation a superior economical downturn volition astir apt beryllium averted due to the fact that galore radical person been vaccinated. But they besides deliberation a instrumentality to pre-pandemic levels of economical activity, particularly successful tourism, has been dramatically delayed.

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Meldrum reported from Johannesburg. AP journalists from astir the satellite contributed.

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