Under the title "Does PCR Testing Detect Omicron Infections? The World Health Organization Responds," Sky News published an article addressing concerns raised globally about the ability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect the new variant of the coronavirus known as "Omicron." However, the World Health Organization announced on Sunday that these tests remain effective in detecting the variant and indicated that studies are ongoing to assess the efficacy of other tools used for diagnosing the disease.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began at the end of 2019, it has claimed the lives of more than 5 million people worldwide. On Friday, the WHO described the new variant of the virus as "concerning." The organization stated that "PCR tests continue to detect infections, including those caused by Omicron."
No new variant had previously caused this level of concern worldwide since the emergence of the "Delta" variant. The WHO currently does not know if the "Omicron" variant spreads more easily than other variants. They explained that "the number of people confirmed to have the virus has increased in parts of Southern Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiological studies are underway to determine whether this is due to Omicron or other factors."
Additionally, the organization does not know if the "Omicron" variant causes more severe disease forms. In its statement, the WHO noted that "preliminary data suggest an increase in hospitalization rates in South Africa, but this may be attributed to the overall rise in the number of infected individuals," and not necessarily due to "Omicron."
Currently, the World Health Organization does not have information suggesting that the symptoms associated with "Omicron" differ from those caused by other variants, but it will take "days to several weeks to understand the level" of severity of the new variant.
