A new mutant virus of the novel coronavirus infection is rapidly spreading around the world. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged people to get vaccinated and wear masks as the World Health Organization is concerned about the possibility of a further spread. Correspondent Ahn So-young.
Omicron, a novel coronavirus mutant virus that was first discovered in Botswana, Africa last month, and spread in South Africa this month, is spreading rapidly.
As of the 29th, it has spread to the North American continent through the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, focusing on 15 countries, including Canada, Austria, Italy, Hong Kong, Israel, and Australia.
The characteristic of Omicron is its very strong radio wave power.
With 32 mutations found in Omicron, twice the number of mutations in the delta-mutant virus that first started in India in October last year, concerns are raised that the transmission power could reach several times that of the delta-mutant virus.
In Hong Kong, there was even raised the possibility that it was spread without direct contact.
Hong Kong media emphasized the urgency of measures to prevent airborne transmission, saying that a 36-year-old patient who arrived from South Africa on the 11th was said to have infected a 62-year-old man across the hallway while staying in an exclusive hotel.
The International Influenza Information Sharing Organization explained that it took 100 days for the delta mutation to become a dominant mutation, but only 20 days for Omicron, as a result of analyzing data from the South African national health screening agency.
Eric Dingdo, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), claimed on his Twitter account that Omicron is five times more infectious than Delta.
In the midst of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) also classified Omicron as a mutation of concern without going through the mutation stage of interest and warned that it is a very large risk factor worldwide.
A variant of concern is designated when there is evidence of increased transmission and severity and decreased vaccine and therapeutic efficacy.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in his speech on the new mutant virus on the 29th, it is not yet known exactly whether Omicron has a greater contagiousness and serious disease. He said that it clearly shows Roonji.
[녹취: 게브레예수스 총장] “We don’t yet know whether Omicron is associated with more transmission more sever diseases. The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is.”
As a result, countries around the world are making every effort to prevent the spread of Omicron, including entry restrictions.
On the 27th, the United States restricted the entry of travelers who departed or transited through eight African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rossotto, Mozambique and Malawi.
US President Joe Biden said in a speech at the White House on the 29th that the novel omicron mutation is a cause of concern, but not a cause of fear.
At the same time, he mentioned the importance of vaccination again and urged people to follow health rules such as wearing a mask.
[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “Sooner or later, we’re going to see cases of this new variant here in the U.S., The best protection against this new variant or any of the variants is getting fully vaccinated and getting a booster shot. “
Sooner or later, a new mutant virus will be found in the United States as well, and the best prevention against this new strain is to be vaccinated and get a booster dose.
President Biden further stressed that if a new vaccine or booster dose is needed against Omicron, he will use all tools to expedite it, adding that he is currently working with vaccine pharmaceutical companies on contingency plans.
Earlier, President Biden said that Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reported to the White House that it would take more than two weeks to obtain information, including the contagiousness of Omicron, Biden said.
He said the lockdown would not be necessary yet if more Americans were vaccinated and received booster doses.
On the other hand, Japan has banned the entry of foreigners from all over the world from the 30th as part of Omicron’s quarantine measures.
In addition, the health ministers of seven major countries held an emergency meeting via video and said that an urgent response to the novel coronavirus omicron mutation is necessary.
This is Ahn So-young from VOA News.
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