Hong Kong successfully isolates ‘Omicron’, seeks urgent vaccine development opportunity
Date 02 Dec 2021 time 15:45
A Hong Kong University research team has successfully isolated the first COVID-19 ‘Omicron’ in Asia.
Xinhua News Agency reported that researchers from the Department of Microbiology at Hong Kong University (HKU) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of southern China. Succeeded in isolating the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) mutant Omicron species based on clinical samples
On Tuesday (Nov 30), the university said in an online statement that the researchers were the first researchers in Asia to isolate the virus. Omicron species successfully
The isolated virus will be useful for the development and production of vaccine against the virus. Omicron species which the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated as a “surveillance strain”.
The report states that the university’s researchers The inoculation was successful late Monday (Nov 29) local time, four days after confirmed COVID-19 cases. The first two Omicron strains were found in Hong Kong on Nov. 25 and five days after the WHO received a report of the virus. The species first arrived from South Africa on Nov. 24.
count to present There have been reports of cases of COVID-19 Omicron species already in the world. While the governments of various countries has urgently implemented a travel ban and tightened surveillance
Kwok-yung Yuen, head of the infectious disease department and research leader, said: “We are aware of the serious threat of the virus. Omicron species and rushed forward to work immediately” and added that virus isolation It is the first step in the study of the virus. such species urgently
Currently, researchers from the University are working to spread the virus For use in evaluating the ability to transmit infection. ability to bypass immunity In addition, the researchers are also exploring opportunities to develop and produce an urgently inactivated vaccine.
Photo by Noel Celis / AFP
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