coronavirus
What we know and don’t know on new COVID variant
South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country's most populous province.
It's unclear where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa alerted the World Health Organization in recent days, and it has now been seen in travelers arriving in several countries, from Australia to Israel to the Netherlands.
On Friday, the WHO designated it as a "variant of concern," naming it "omicron" after a letter in the Greek alphabet.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON?
Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an "exponential rise" of cases in the last few days.
From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 Saturday, most in Gauteng.
Struggling to explain the sudden rise in cases, scientists studied virus samples and discovered the new variant. Now, as many as 90% of the new cases in Gauteng are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform.
WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT?
After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the WHO said that "preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant," as compared to other variants.
That means people who contracted COVID-19 and recovered could be subject to catching it again.
The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus' spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people.
Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations "consistent with enhanced transmissibility," but said that "the significance of many of the mutations is still not known."
Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as "the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen," including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus.
READ: What is this new COVID variant in South Africa?
WHAT'S KNOWN AND NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE VARIANT?
Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but do not know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.
It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it.
Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was "extremely unlikely" that current vaccines wouldn't work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants.
Dutch, Australians find omicron variant: others halt flights
The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming air travel from around the world for two weeks starting Monday — the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the variant's spread.
Confirmed or suspected cases of the new variant have already emerged in several European countries, in Israel and in Hong Kong, just days after it was identified by researchers in South Africa. The "act first, ask questions later" approach reflected growing alarm about the emergence of a potentially more contagious variant nearly two years into a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people, upended lives and disrupted economies across the globe.
While much remains to be learned about the new variant, researchers are concerned that it may be more resistant to the protection provided by vaccines and could mean that the pandemic lasts for longer than anticipated.
The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for omicron. They were among 61 people who tested positive for the virus after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport before a flight ban was implemented. They were immediately put into isolation, most at a nearby hotel, while sequencing was carried out.
Authorities in Australia said two overseas travelers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to test positive for the omicron variant. Arrivals from nine African countries are now required to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival. Two German states reported a total of three cases in returning travelers over the weekend.
Read: South African scientists brace for wave propelled by omicron
Israel moved to ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad.
"Restrictions on the country's borders is not an easy step, but it's a temporary and necessary step," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting.
Dr. Ran Balicer, head of the government's advisory panel on COVID-19, told Israel's Kan public radio that the new measures were necessary for the "fog of war" surrounding the new variant, saying it was "better to act early and strictly" to prevent its spread.
Morocco's Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that all incoming air travel to the North African country would be suspended to "preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens." Morocco has been at the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said he asked his country's public health institute for advice on whether additional travel restrictions are needed, but he wants to coordinate with his European Union counterparts because "I think those are really steps that we will have to take together."
Many countries have restricted or banned travel from various southern African countries — among the latest New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Places that already had imposed restrictions include Brazil, Canada, the EU, Iran, and the U.S. This goes against the advice of the World Health Organization, which has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied.
South Africa's government responded angrily to the travel bans, which it said are "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker." It said it will try to persuade countries that imposed them to reconsider.
"Whilst we respect the right of all countries to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their citizens, we need to remember that this pandemic requires collaboration and sharing of expertise," the minister for international relations and cooperation, Naledi Pandor, said in a statement.
Read: Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
The United States' top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said he wouldn't be surprised if the omicron variant was already in the U.S., though it hasn't yet been detected there.
In Europe, much of which already has been struggling with a sharp increase in cases over recent weeks, officials also were on guard.
The U.K. on Saturday tightened rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two omicron cases. Spain announced it won't admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1.
Italy was going through lists of airline passengers who arrived in the past two weeks after a business traveler who returned from Mozambique and landed in Rome on Nov. 11 tested positive for omicron. The Lazio region's top health official, Alessio D'Amato, said that "controls at airports, ports and train stations have been reinforced."
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said that, while his country had no confirmed cases yet, "it is probable that there currently are cases in circulation."
While it is not clear yet how existing vaccines work against the omicron variant, Veran said France isn't changing its strategy to fight the latest surge of infections driven by the delta variant, which centers on increasing vaccinations and boosters.
David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert and government adviser on the pandemic in Hong Kong, said that even though it is not clear if current coronavirus vaccines are effective against the new variant, the city's vaccination rate should be increased and booster doses should be implemented as soon as possible.
He said the two people who tested positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer shot and exhibited very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.
"Vaccines should work but there would be some reduction in effectiveness," he said.
As Europe virus cases surge, UK plows on with its new normal
The bars are shut in Vienna, and the Christmas market is empty in Munich, as several European nations tighten up or even lock down to combat a spike in coronavirus infections.
Meanwhile in London, couples sip mulled wine at a seasonal market near the River Thames, full-capacity audiences fill the seats at the nearby National Theatre, and friends huddle over pints in pubs throughout the city.
Read: EU wants to stop flights from southern Africa over variant
Not for the first time in the pandemic, Britain is out of step with many of its neighbors. But this time, it’s happy to be different.
The U.K. has endured three nationwide lockdowns and recorded nearly 145,000 deaths from the coronavirus, the highest toll in Europe after Russia. Now, it is watching as hospitals struggle with surging cases in countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, bringing lockdowns and restrictions. But while Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that a “blizzard from the east” could still ruin Britain’s Christmas, many scientists say the wind is now blowing the other way.
“We are not behind Europe in this wave. They are behind us,” said Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia.
The surge that is now hitting mainland Europe, driven by the highly transmissible delta strain of the virus, walloped Britain in the summer, just as the government removed all remaining legal restrictions on the economy and daily life.
Read: France calls for European aid after 27 migrant deaths at sea
Because Britain got delta in the summer, when respiratory viruses are transmitted less readily, “it wasn’t so explosive as we would expect it to be in the winter, and as we’re now seeing in in some European countries,” Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease modelling at the University of Edinburgh, said.
“I think the U.K. got its delta wave at a fortuitous time, whereas Austria, for example, it’s the exact opposite,” he said. Austria, where average daily deaths have almost doubled in the past two weeks, has gone into lockdown, and authorities there plan to mandate vaccinations beginning Feb. 1.
The World Health Organization said this week that Europe is the only region of the world where coronavirus cases are rising, and the continent could see another 700,000 deaths by the spring unless urgent measures are taken soon.
But Britain stands somewhat apart.
Many scientists predicted the country would see a spike in cases after July 19 — dubbed “Freedom Day” by the media — when almost all restrictions were lifted. It didn’t happen.
Infection rates that were then among the highest in Europe, drifted up and down but never soared again as feared, though they remain stubbornly high. Britain is recording more than 40,000 new cases a day, a level last seen during the past winter’s surge. But a relatively high vaccination rate — particularly among the elderly — means hospitalizations and deaths are far lower than in previous waves. Still, 130 people a day died in the past week after testing positive for COVID-19.
Britain’s hospitals have not been overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, though they are extremely busy as the health system struggles to clear a huge backlog built up during the pandemic. Johnson’s Conservative government has so far not had to trigger its “Plan B,” which would reintroduce mask mandates and work-from-home orders to ease pressure on the health system.
But if life in Britain these days can feel unusually normal — even festive, as many embrace the holiday season with renewed enthusiasm — it is a new, more constrained normal.
Visitors from countries where restrictions are still in place are sometimes taken aback by Britain's voluntary, variable approach to mask use and social distancing. But Ivo Vlaev, a behavioral scientist at the University of Warwick who has studied data from across Europe, says people in the U.K. have largely stuck to protective measures — including limiting their contacts with others — even when they were no longer required by law. Movement data suggests Britons still travel and mix less than before the pandemic.
Read: Migrant boat capsizes in English Channel; at least 31 dead
“It seems to be the case that in U.K. people are more compliant in general across all health-protective behaviors” than in some other European nations, Vaev said.
Partly, he says, the reason is “fear — we actually are quite afraid to go out and do the usual stuff” after Britain's harsh pandemic experience.
While some European countries are turning to compulsion to get more people vaccinated, the U.K. is sticking with persuasion. Britain does not widely require proof of vaccination attend events or workplaces, and the government has ruled out mandating vaccines for everyone, though health and social care workers have been ordered to get shots.
Britain hasn't seen as much resistance to the vaccine as many other countries, and about 88% of people aged 12 and up have had at least one dose. But only about 68% of the whole population is fully vaccinated, a lower figure than in some other European nations, partly because the U.K. was slower than many of its neighbors to offer shots to children aged 12 to 15, and has not yet approved vaccines for younger kids.
The government’s focus is on giving booster doses to those most vulnerable to serious illness, offering a third shot to everyone 40 and up six months after their second.
“Get your booster as soon as you can,” the prime minister said this week. “Because it is by vaccinating our country that we have been able to get your staff back to their place of work, to open our theaters, our restaurants and get back for longer now than any comparator country, to something like normal life.”
Some public health specialists and opposition politicians say the government is relying too much on vaccination to keep the virus at bay. They want the return of mandatory masks, social distancing and other measures.
But some epidemiologists are cautiously optimistic that enough is being done to keep a lid on the virus over the winter. Perhaps ironically, Hunter says Britain’s heavy coronavirus toll puts it in a stronger position than those countries where the virus is now surging.
Read: Italian Coast Guard rescues 550 migrants from stormy seas
“They’ve got populations that are not as well immunized, whether that is from vaccine or infection, as we have,” he said. “We still have a lot more immunity from natural infection than most European countries, and we’re rolling out the booster. That is why we will have less of a troublesome winter than most.”
Govt targets 17% expenditure of GDP for next two fiscals: Document
The government has projected its expenditure to remain at 17 per cent of the GDP in the next two fiscal years defying the adverse impact of coronavirus, although the pandemic pulled down the rate slightly. In the current 2021-22 fiscal, the government expenditure has been set at 17.3 per cent of the GDP while it was 17.4 per cent of the GDP in the revised budget of the 2020-21 fiscal, according to an official obtained by UNB. According to the official budgetary document, government expenditure was 13.9 per cent of GDP in 2015-16 fiscal and declined to 13.6 per cent in 2016-17 fiscal.
Read: Rebased GDP now official in national accounting In the 2017-18 fiscal, the rate increased to 14.3 per cent of the GDP whereas the rate shot to 15.4 per cent in the 2018-19 fiscal. But in the 2019-20 fiscal it slightly went down to 14.9 per cent of the GDP. As per the document, with successful implementation of reforms in Public Financial Management, government expenditure has been increased since 2015-16 fiscal. "In the medium term (2023-24), the government intends to pursue a moderate consolidation path to keep budget deficit within a sustainable limit," the document said. It mentioned that due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the government has changed its spending priority to expand healthcare and provide stimulus programmes to achieve desired economic recovery. On the other hand, as per the document, the growth rate of nominal government expenditure fluctuated between 6 and 21 per cent over the 2015-16 fiscal to 2019-20 fiscal.
South Korea sets pandemic high with 4,000 new virus cases
New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 4,000 in a day for the first time since the start of the pandemic as a delta-driven spread continues to rattle the country after it eased social distancing in recent weeks to improve its economy.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said most of the new 4,116 cases reported Wednesday came from the capital Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan region, where an increase in hospitalizations has created fears about possible shortages in intensive care units.
Read: US to require vaccines for all border crossers in January
The country’s death toll is now 3,363 after 35 virus patients died in the past 24 hours. The 586 patients who are in serious or critical conditions also marked a new high.
South Korea is the latest country to see infections and hospitalizations rise after loosening social distancing measures amid high vaccination rates. Cases are also climbing in the United States ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, while Austria entered a major lockdown on Monday as a virus wave spreads across Europe.
Officials in South Korea eased social distancing rules starting this month and fully reopened schools on Monday in what they describe as first steps toward restoring some pre-pandemic normalcy. In allowing larger social gatherings and longer indoor dining hours at restaurants, officials had hoped that improving vaccination rates would keep hospitalizations and deaths down even if the virus continues to spread.
But health workers are now wrestling with a rise in serious cases and fatalities among older people who rejected vaccines or whose immunities have waned after getting injected early in the vaccine rollout that began in February.
“The rise in serious cases has been considerably higher than what we had expected,” Health Ministry official Son Youngrae said in a briefing. Son said officials are closely monitoring the situation and may announce steps to re-impose stronger social distancing measures in coming weeks if the spread continues to worsen.
Read: Covaxin cleared by UK, relief for Indian students, tourists
According to KDCA data, most of the virus patients who died in recent weeks were in their 60s or older, and the majority of them were not fully vaccinated or vaccinated at all. Son said there has also been a rise in breakthrough infections among older people who received two shots, showing how the delta variant is reducing the effectiveness of vaccines.
Officials are now scrambling to speed up the administration of booster shots and create plans to share hospital capacities between the greater Seoul area and other regions with smaller outbreaks to prevent hospital systems from being overwhelmed.
Son said the government has issued administrative orders to hospitals in the capital region to designate hundreds of more beds for virus patients. He said more than 83% of the region’s ICUs designated for COVID-19 treatment are currently occupied.
Global Covid-19 cases top 254 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 254 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 254,289,204 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,113,864 Wednesday morning.
The US has recorded 47,307,829 cases to date and more than 765,731 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Read: Pfizer asks US officials to OK promising COVID-19 pill
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,447,536 on Tuesday, as 8,865 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, 187 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 463,852.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,965,684 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 611,478.
UK has recorded 9,686,190 cases with fatalities of 143,598 so far.
Read: US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11
For two months now, a stubborn wave of virus infections has ripped mercilessly through several countries in Central and Eastern Europe, where vaccination rates are much lower than elsewhere on the continent, reports AP.
While medical workers pleaded for tough restrictions or even lockdowns, leaders let the virus rage unimpeded for weeks.
“I don’t believe in measures. I don’t believe in the same measures that existed before the vaccines,” Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said last month as the Balkan nation sustained some of its worst daily death toll of the pandemic. “Why do we have vaccines then?”
A World Health Organization official declared earlier this month that Europe is again at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. While several Western European countries are seeing spikes in infections, it is nations to the East that are driving fatalities.
Read: Covid claims 2 more lives and infects 213 in Bangladesh
Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkan states recorded some of the highest per capita death rates in the world in the first week of November, according to WHO.
Covid-19 in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded two more Covid-linked deaths and 213 fresh infections in 24 hours until Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The daily case positivity rate slightly dropped to 1.03 percent from Monday’s 1.32 percent.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,922 while the country’s caseload mounted to 15,72,501, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Anti-Covid pill likely to get approved in India soon, DCGI reviewing data
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent, according to DGHS.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 20,764 samples, it said.
Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.71 percent, with the recovery of 223 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 3 deaths in 24 hours
Amid the global race to vaccinate people, the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh has eased with the health authorities reporting three deaths and 206 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning
The new casualties marked a slight drop from Monday’s six deaths and 215 fresh cases.
Also Read: Global Covid cases top 250 million
Both the daily-case positivity and the mortality rates remained unchanged at 1.28 per cent and at 1.78 per cent respectively, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases were detected after testing 17,530 samples.
Two of the three deceased were men and one was a woman.
Also Read: 12 crore vaccine doses to be administered by January: Health Minister
With the fresh numbers, the Covid-19 fatalities reached 27,904 while the caseload climbed to 1,571,434, according to the DGHS.
Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.71 percent, with the recovery of 356 more patients during the period.
So far, 31,622,370 people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 46,707,885 received the first dose as of Monday, said the DGHS.
Covid claims 4 more lives in Bangladesh, infects another 178
Bangladesh logged four more Covid-linked deaths and reported 178 fresh infections in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
On Saturday, the country saw just a single death from Covid-19 which was the lowest in nearly 18 months along with 154 cases.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,895 while the country’s caseload mounted to 1,571,013, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also Read: Global cases near 250 million
Three of the deceased were men and one was a woman.
Meanwhile, the daily-case positivity rate slightly declined to 1.17 per cent from Saturday’s 1.18 per cent.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 15, 234 samples, said the DGHS.
Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.70 per cent with the recovery of 190 more patients during the period.
Also Read: Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%
So far, 30,871,022 people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 44,688,070 received the first dose as of Saturday, according to the DGHS.
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the school students of the 12-17 age group began in Dhaka on Monday.
The vaccination campaign will be conducted at eight centres in the capital although it was scheduled to begin at 12 centres in the city. Other centres did not get approval due to the lack of adequate facilities.
Bangladesh logs another 3 Covid-related deaths, 197 fresh infections
The Covid-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh decreased with health authorities reporting three more deaths and 197 infections in 24 hours till Friday morning.
The daily-case positivity rate slightly decreased to 1.12 per cent from Thursday’s 1.32 per cent.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 17,446 samples, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Bangladesh logs another 7 Covid-linked deaths, 247 fresh infections
With the fresh numbers, the Covid-19 fatalities reached 27,890 while the caseload climbed to 15,70,681, according to the DGHS.
Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.70 per cent with the recovery of 178 more patients during the period.
So far, 30,208,700 people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 43,101,199 received the first dose as of Wednesday, according to the DGHS.
Read: Possible winter wave of Covid: What measures experts suggest to tackle it
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the school students of the 12-17 age group began in Dhaka on Monday.
The vaccination campaign will be conducted at eight centres in the capital although it was scheduled to begin at 12 centres in the city. Other centres did not get approval due to lack of adequate facilities.
Bangladesh ‘braces for Covid’s winter wave’; experts urge caution
Though the Covid-19 pandemic looks to have eased in Bangladesh with an insignificant infection rate for the past several weeks, experts warn that a fresh mild wave of Covid-19 may hit the country during this winter.
Since the virus still remains in some pockets of the country, they said it is likely to spread fast amid the presence of different flues with the fall of mercury next month due to public apathy to wear masks and health safety rules, low pace in vaccination and lack of human intervention and necessary bulwarks.
The analysts also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rightly rang the alarm bell last week as the virus cases are surging again in many countries and neighbouring India’s West Bengal.
Read Bangladesh bracing for third Covid wave?
They, however, said Bangladesh can avoid the possible winter wave by intensifying the virus control measures, including strict screening at air and land ports, encouraging people to maintain health safety rules, and wear masks and strengthening the vaccination drive.
On October 28, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged all to maintain health protocols like wearing masks to check the resurgence of Coronavirus in the upcoming winter as the virus hits many countries, including the USA, England and some European countries, at this time.
Current Covid situation
Bangladesh reported 256 Covid cases on Wednesday with 1.31 percent passivity rate. The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,523 samples, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Bangladesh logs another 7 Covid-linked deaths, 247 fresh infections
Though Covid infection rate crossed 30 percent in July this year and it continued falling from mid-August. The virus came down to below five percent on September 21 while it declined to below 3 percent on October 3 and below two percent on October 22.