Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor on infectious diseases in the United States, said on Tuesday that initial information from South Africa indicates that there are no "strange symptoms" in those infected with the "Omicron" variant of the coronavirus. Fauci explained that there are currently 226 confirmed cases of the "Omicron" variant in 20 countries, with no reported cases in the United States so far.
Meanwhile, Angelique Coetzee, a member of the South African Medical Association, stated that the symptoms associated with the new variant appear to be mild "compared to those treated previously." She added that these symptoms range from fatigue to muscle pain, noting, "What we have observed so far is that those infected do not experience a loss of taste or smell, and they may have a mild cough."
Some individuals infected with the new variant are being treated at home, indicating that their condition is not severe. Scientists are still waiting for sufficient data regarding the infected individuals to determine the severity of the new variant and whether it effectively diminishes the efficacy of existing vaccines against the infection.
Earlier on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ruled out another lockdown in Britain due to the Omicron variant, describing it as "unlikely," while indicating that there is close monitoring of the developments concerning the coronavirus. Johnson announced during a press conference in London plans to offer the third booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine to all adults over the age of 18 in Britain starting in January.
The British Prime Minister mentioned that 400 members of the British army would assist in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines amid widespread concerns about the worsening situation due to the recently detected "Omicron" variant.
Additionally, the University of Oxford stated on Tuesday that there is no evidence to suggest that currently available vaccines against the coronavirus cannot prevent infection with the "Omicron" variant. The university added that it is prepared to develop an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine, "AstraZeneca," if necessary, noting that it has the appropriate means for vaccine development.
The University of Oxford highlighted that there is limited data on Omicron so far and that it would carefully assess the impact of the new variant on the vaccine. For his part, the CEO of Moderna stated that it is unlikely that COVID-19 vaccines will be as effective against the Omicron variant as they were against the Delta variant.
