The Omicron COVID-19 variant is quickly emerging around the world. The variant has been first identified in South Africa, but the origin and how long it has been circulating is still unknown. As of now, 23 countries have reported cases of this variant, and the numbers continue to rise. The United States has reported two cases of fully vaccinated people. In response, several countries have attempted to prevent the spread by suspending flights from Southern African countries or quarantining people who have traveled from outside of the country.
Circulation of Omicron Variant
The first case of the Omicron variant was reported on November 24, 2021 but a sample was recorded on November 9, 2021. Although the number of cases of the variant are growing, it is difficult to determine the origin.
Reported cases have no clear travel connections to South America. This shows that the variant was in circulation before the first reported case in South Africa and does not support that the origin is Southern African countries. For example, Germany reported a case of a man who had not traveled abroad or been in contact with anyone who had been abroad.
Determining the Origin of the Variant
Dr. Angelique Coetzee was the first to bring up the idea of the Omicron variant. She reported this when she noticed symptoms that varied from the Delta variant. More investigation is underway to determine the origin of the omicron variant.
Moritz Kramer, the lead researcher of Oxford Martin Programme on Pandemic Genomics at Oxford University, explains that the difficulty in determining the origin is, “due to limited sequencing coverage and surveillance in some countries.” In general, variants are detected after the variant has already evolved and spread. Because of this, experts from Europe think the variant has been circulating for longer than initially thought.
Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases spread beyond the initial cases and often spread quickly to several different countries. International travel is very common and greatly contributes to the spread. Some experts believe that the spread of Omicron began at the end of October.
Reference:
Ellyatt, H. (2021, December 2). Omicron Covid variant likely circulating for longer – and more widely – than thought, experts say. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/02/where-did-omicron-covid-variant-come-from-and-where-is-it-circulating.html.
