"Omicron" variant triggers new travel restrictions
USA limiting foreigners from South Africa and seven other countries as WHO declares new "variant of concern" possibly driving sharp increase in new cases
Concerning news about a variant blamed for a spike of new cases in South Africa sent financial markets tumbling Friday, and the White House joined several other nations in restricting foreign travelers from South Africa and seven other countries where the new variant, dubbed “omicron,” has been identified.
The new restrictions bar anyone who is not a US citizen from arriving from South Africa and seven other countries starting on Monday. These include Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi, according to senior administration officials. American citizens who test negative prior to travel will be permitted.
The World Health Organization’s declaration of a new “variant of concern” means the strain is associated with one or more of these characteristics:
increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; OR
increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; OR
decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics
Omicron was first reported on November 24, and the earliest identified case occurred on November 9, when South Africa’s new case rate started to climb sharply.
“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa,” according to WHO.
The good news: existing PCR tests detect this variant, which is why it was picked up so quickly.
No cases of omicron have been reported in the United States yet. Variant surveillance has increased dramatically since January. The delta variant accounts for almost 100% of new cases in the USA since the summer.
What you need to know:
Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as masks, avoiding crowds, and good ventilation remain effective ways to reduce risk.
Scientists are studying whether the new variant bypasses protection from existing vaccines. Vaccines are highly effective against delta and other variants, so vaccines remain key to ending the pandemic.
Reducing new cases is the best way to reduce the chances of new variants from emerging. Every time COVID-19 passes from one person to another is another opportunity for mutations and new strains.
Here’s to staying safe!