Omicron variant detected in more countries as scientists race to find answers | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Omicron variant detected in more countries as scientists race to find answers | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

The Omicron coronavirus variant spread around the world on Sunday, with new cases found in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia even as more countries imposed travel restrictions to try to seal themselves off. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was not yet clear whether Omicron, first detected in Southern Africa, is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease. "Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection," WHO said, Reuters reported. It said understanding the level of severity of Omicron "will take days to several weeks". The detection of Omicron triggered global alarm as governments around the world scrambled to impose new travel curbs and financial markets sold off, fearing the variant could resist vaccinations and upend a nascent economic reopening after a two-year global pandemic. In its statement, the WHO said it was working with technical experts to understand the potential impact of the variant on existing countermeasures against COVID-19, including vaccines. Britain said it will convene an urgent meeting of G7 health ministers on Monday to discuss the