New strain ‘causes mild symptoms’

THOSE with the new Covid variant mostly have no symptoms or ‘very, very mild’ ones, health officials say.

None of the 32 confirmed Omicron cases in the UK have been hospitalised because of the virus, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

And 16 of the 19 cases of Omicron in Botswana – where the mutant was discovered – were asymptomatic, according to that country’s health chief, Dr Pamela Smith-Lawrence.

The remaining three were ‘very, very mild’, added the acting director of health in Botswana’s ministry of health and wellness.

Dr Smith-Lawrence’s views were echoed by an official at the World Health Organisation, who said most cases of Omicron so far have proved to be mild. Speaking anonymously, the official stressed there is currently no evidence that the new variant reduces the efficacy of vaccines.

In Britain, the Health Security Agency said it is still gathering information on the vaccination status of those infected with Omicron and it hopes to publish data this week.

Doctors in South Africa said most of those infected with the new variant typically suffer a headache, nausea, dizziness and a high pulse rate.

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chairman of the South African Medical Association, said: ‘There is no reason for panicking as we don’t see any severely ill patients.’

The global GISAID database, which is used by scientists to record genetically sequenced virus samples, shows only 171 confirmed cases of the new variant in South Africa.

Reports from Tshwane, South Africa, claimed children under the age of two account for about 10 per cent of hospital admissions with the new variant.

But Downing Street said there is ‘nothing to suggest’ children are more affected by Omicron.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘There is nothing to suggest it is impacting on different age groups in a different way to what we see with other variants.’

Professor Andrew Hayward, from University College London and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, or Sage, said the UK is in a ‘different situation’ now to the start of the pandemic and ‘we’re definitely not going back to the start again’.

He told Times Radio: ‘The longterm picture is good, but we do have a potential problem over this winter. We need to be cautious still, I’m afraid.’

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organisation, said Omicron has now been reported in 23 countries but that it remains unclear what impact it is having.

‘Not going back to the start again’