Omicron mutation: At least 25 cases in Botswana
Cases of the new variant are increasing in Botswana. Satisfaction for the course of vaccination.
At least 25 cases of the Omicron mutation have been found in Botswana, Africa, where it first appeared.
The Minister of Health of the country, Edwin Dikolotti, as reported by the Athenian and Macedonian News Agency, noted informing journalists in the capital Gaboron that although it is known that this variant has multiple mutations and is more contagious, "we do not know if it is more deadly or not. and how effective the vaccines are against it. "
At the front of the immunization campaign, according to the minister, by Monday at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine had been received by 1,094,388 citizens and permanent residents over the age of 18, ie 78.7% of the target population , while 982,275 people, or 70.6% of the target population, had been fully vaccinated.
The sparsely populated country of Africa, 70% of which is covered by the Kalahari Desert, has a population of around 2.35 million.
"Botswana has surpassed its target of vaccinating 64% of the target population by the end of 2021, and the World Health Organization has set a target of 40% of the population being vaccinated by all countries. "who can be immunized by the end of the month", underlined Mr. Dikolotti.
To date, Botswana has recorded 2,420 deaths from COVID-19 out of a total of 195,552 reported infections from SARS-CoV-2.
Omicron Mutation - WHO: More contagious than Delta but with milder symptoms
The head of the World Health Organization said that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus seems to be more contagious, but it causes milder symptoms compared to Delta.
"Preliminary data from South Africa suggest that the risk of re-infection is higher with Omicron, but more data is needed to draw safer conclusions. "There is also evidence to suggest that Omicron is causing less severe symptoms compared to Delta, but even at this point it is too early to be sure," Tantros Ananom Gebregesous told reporters in Geneva.
In order to have a more accurate picture of the characteristics of this variant faster, the Director-General of the WHO asked all countries to contribute, submitting data to the Agency. In order to better combat Omicron, he also called on all countries to continue their efforts in terms of vaccination and adherence to measures (distances, use of a mask, restriction of social contacts, etc.).
WHO chief scientist Dr. Sumia Swaminathan also referred to preliminary studies published in recent days, suggesting that the Omicron variant makes the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine less effective.
"I think it is premature to conclude 'that a reduction in neutralizing antibodies'' will lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine. "We do not know this," Swaminathan said, adding that a concerted, global research effort is needed to prevent arbitrary conclusions.
