Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron
The World Health Organisation on Monday said the Omicron variant of concern posed a “serious global risk”, as countries rushed to restrict travel to southern Africa, the centre of the outbreak of the strain.
But apart from government measures, what can the public do to remain safe from a variant that has twice as many mutations as the Delta strain of Covid and – by some accounts – could be more transmissible?
In the early days of the pandemic, scientists said the disease could be transmitted easily on surfaces, where it could linger for days.
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An employee of the Red Cross checks the registrations for the PCR test at a Covid-19 testing station in Innsbruck, Austria. From today, people who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus are barred from entering restaurants, bars, hotel, gyms, hairdressers, ski lifts and other public places throughout the country. Getty -
People leave a river cruise ship that arrived from Passau, Germany, at a shipping pier along the Danube river in Vienna, Austria. At least 80 passengers on the ship tested positive for Covid-19. EPA -
Rami Tahhan, a nursing assistant at Vivantes Clinic in Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany, is tested for Covid-19. AP -
An 85-year-old man receives a booster vaccination aboard the ‘vaccination express’ tram in Frankfurt, Germany. AP -
Head doctor Dr Lorenz Nowak treats a Covid-19 patient in the intensive care unit of Asklepios Clinic in Munich, Germany. AP -
People wear protective face masks near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. EPA -
A man rides his mobility scooter along the promenade of Levante beach in Benidorm, Spain. The number of British tourists in the coastal resort has steadily risen since the UK government eased travel rules. Getty -
People take part in a ‘No Green Pass’ rally in Trieste, northern Italy. EPA -
AC Milan supporters display a banner in memory of Covid-19 victims during an Italian Serie A football match in the Italian city. EPA -
A QR code is displayed in a sports hall in Heerhugowaard, Netherlands. Owing to tightened coronavirus measures, indoor sports associations are obliged to check the smartphones of players and visitors. EPA -
Passengers wear face masks on a metro train platform in Moscow, Russia. AFP
But guidance later changed — mask wearing was seen as vital for preventing airborne transmission, which was identified as the most common way for the virus to spread.
But scientists maintain that surface transmission is a danger and hand-washing and disinfecting surfaces that are touched regularly, in addition to social distancing, remains important.
Delta, identified in early 2021 and named in May, ripped through India as scientists said it was at least twice as infectious as previous variants. It soon became the dominant Covid-19 strain globally but health advice remained unchanged: wear a mask, maintain social distance and get vaccinated.
That is the situation now with the new variant. On Monday, WHO said “proven public health and social measures such as wearing well-fitting masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improving ventilation of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and getting vaccinated”, remain vital.
If the Omicron variant is found to be more transmissible, that advice is unlikely to change but in the meantime, people would do well to take extra precautions.
For example, in August a study by scientists at Yale found that surgical masks were more than twice as effective as cloth masks for stopping particle transmission.
Some countries have introduced tougher requirements on mask wearing on public transport and in public places—it's now mandatory in the UK due to the emergence of Omicron, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask on transport or in retail outlets can be fined at least £200 ($267).
Likewise, LA County in California issued new guidelines, urging mask wearing in public.
"We know enough about Covid to take steps now that can reduce transmission as we prepare to better understand the additional strategies that may needed to mitigate this new variant of concern," a statement from the county said.
Italy has also introduced a vaccine passport for entering almost any public place — another sign that more countries are trying to raise the uptake of the vaccine among the population. France and the Netherlands are considering similar action.
