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Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
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26 Nov, 6 tweets, 3 min read
📍BREAKING— The European Commission has recommended that EU countries introduce an "emergency brake" on travel from southern Africa due to #B11529… to help "limit the spread", recommending all air travel to affected countries be suspended & "respect strict quarantine rules". 🧵
2) This follows a confirmed case in Belgium, a case in Israel, and 2 cases caught in Hong Kong 🇭🇰 hotel quarantine.
3) here is where a lot of worry is ==> if early data pans out, it’s suggesting 500% virus competitive advantage versus old Wuhan strain. Let’s hope this is wrong. But scientists are worried.
4) earlier—UK & Singapore rushed in stricter quarantine measures or banning flights from South Africa & neighbouring countries.

I think the instinct on quarantine is correct. Though outright ban, I’m not for. International arrival quarantine makes sense.
bbc.co.uk/news/world-594…
5) Why is quarantine key? ➡️ One #B11529 case in Hong Kong was only detected on the 8th day and 4th PCR tests!! And both persons were vaccinated. How many countries do quarantines of 8 days or more and do 4 tests?
6) Seeing the worrisome data, US now added travel curbs as well.

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More from @DrEricDing

Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
28 Nov
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. 🧵 Image
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.
Read 4 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
27 Nov
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 Image
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."

cnn.com/world/live-new… Image
3) This follows UK discovery for 2 cases of #Omicron this morning.
Read 7 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
27 Nov
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… Image
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.
Read 7 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
27 Nov
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.
Read 8 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
26 Nov
⚠️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.
Read 9 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
26 Nov
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 👇
3) this is the best pandemic strategy. @DrMikeRyan

Be fast. Have no regrets. The greatest error is not to move.
Read 12 tweets

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