📍BREAKING— Israel 🇮🇱 reports its first confirmed case of new #B11529 coronavirus variant in a traveler who flew ✈️ from Malawi ➡️ this is now the 3rd case outside of Africa (after 2 cases found in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 - see thread 👇). #NuVariant
2) in HK, #B11529 2/: fortunately caught by 🇭🇰’s quarantine system for international arrivals. But that’s where the good news ends— #B11259 was barely caught by a 4th PCR test in cross infection across a hotel hallway. Worse—both were Pfizer vaccinated.👇
3) Here is Israel 🇮🇱 Ministry’s statement — two other cases under suspicion of #B11529 — worrisome — all individuals were vaccinated too.
4) also keep in mind, that in South Africa, that it’s seeing the spike in #B11529 despite South Africa being 72% previously infected. Clearly it’s not enough. Natural infection is NOT A VALID STRATEGY!
5) 500% more contagious / infectious would be horribly bad if true for #B11529. Let’s pray it’s not. But there is real concern. See thread 🧵
7) Israel 🇮🇱 Prime Minister @naftalibennett on new coronavirus variant #B11529 : "We are currently on the verge of a state of emergency. ... Our main principle is to act fast, strong and now" ➡️ that’s serious.
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NEW—Australia 🇦🇺 confirms its first 2 cases of #Omicron variant in New South Wales (Sydney region) among flight ✈️ passengers returning from South Africa 🇿🇦, aboard a Qatar Airways flight via Doha. All 260 aboard now isolating. 14 days hotel quarantine for those from S Africa. 🧵
2) This adds to the flurry of new / probable #Omicron cases identified in the past 2 days. It’s definitely global now
3) I warned that it was already global outside of SubSaharan Africa when we immediately noticed the Belgium 🇧🇪 case has zero travel to Southern Africa. And it was weeks ago. Millions fly out every week in Africa. It was inevitable if we respond so late.
BREAKING—🇬🇧PM warns: “The #Omicron spreads very rapidly & can be spread between people double vaccinated. There is very extensive mutation—diverges quite significantly from previous, and as a result, might in part reduce the protection of our vaccines over time”. 👀 #BoosterShots
2) “we will require all contacts of those who test positive with a suspected case of Omicron to self-isolate for 10 days regardless of your vaccination status."
BREAKING—Uk 🇬🇧 now reports its first 2 cases of #OmicronVariant, with Africa travel connection. UK now adds Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola to its travel red list.—“If you have returned from there in the last 10 days you must isolate & get PCR tests”. cnn.com/world/live-new…
2) A country being on the “red list” means that UK residents, as well as British and Irish nationals arriving home from that red list point of departure, must undergo a 10-day hotel quarantine at their own expense. 👀
3) there is likely a big cluster of #Omicron cases among travelers on KLM flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg that landed in Amsterdam yesterday.
NEW—“Dozens” likely infected onboard 2 flights ✈️ carrying ~600 people from South Africa that landed in Netherlands—Dutch health service estimates up to ~85 cases —so far 15 positive from 110 tested. Nearly 500 results still pending—& pending if #Omicron. reuters.com/world/europe/p…
2) “The Dutch government banned all air travel from southern Africa early on Friday—passengers already en route to the 🇳🇱 would have to undergo testing and quarantine upon arrival.
Passengers from Cape Town & Johannesburg, said they were kept waiting on the tarmac for hours.”
3) Travel restrictions sadly could be too late. The first EU case of #OmicronVariant detected in Belgium — she didn’t even travel to Sub-Saharan Africa! This means the virus has definitely escaped the region un-detected.
⚠️FIRST #OmicronVariant EUROPE CASE DID **NOT** TRAVEL TO SOUTHERN AFRICA—Tracing details of the Belgium #B11529 case reveals only travel to Egypt🇪🇬 & Turkey 🇹🇷—but not Sub-Saharan Africa at all. I’m concerned #Omicron is global 🌍 already—very worried. 🧵 assets.uzleuven.be/files/2021-11/…
2) Travel restrictions — many countries implementing them to Southern Africa. But is that enough? This is why international arrival testing + quarantine is likely much better safety net against variant border incursion.
3) The two #B11529 cases in Hong Kong were interesting too. The second HK case acquired it from the first traveler from South Africa in hotel quarantine! Both were vaccinated.
BREAKING—“Omicron Variant”—The World Health Organization designates the new #B11529 strain a "variant of concern" high priority risks rating and gives it the Greek name #Omicron.
2) How risky is the new #OmicronVariant? It has potentially 500% competitive advantage compared to the old Wuhan strain. That is staggering. Let’s hope the early data is wrong. But I worry it’s not given WHO concern about it 👇