Belgian researchers have revealed a significant surprise regarding the reasons behind the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, indicating that the new variant may not show up in tests during the first two days of infection. A recent study conducted by Belgian scientists highlighted that isolating individuals infected with the Omicron variant for 7 days is more important than conducting COVID-19 tests.
Currently, the Omicron variant is the most common strain of COVID-19 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Federal officials stated that the highly transmissible variant accounts for 73% of recent confirmed cases in the U.S., and in some areas, it comprises over 90% of confirmed cases.
Rochelle Walensky, the Director of CDC, explained that early data showed the Omicron variant may cause less severe illness. Last month, the World Health Organization announced that Omicron is "a variant of concern." At that time, the WHO stated, "This variant contains a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning." They added, "Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant compared to other variants of concern, such as Delta."
Previously, the Delta variant represented 99.3% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. from November 28 to December 4, according to CDC data.
