Singapore may have to “take a few steps back” with its reopening plans according to Prime Minister Hsien Loong. This news has come after a new Covid-19 variant was identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Designated as B.1.1.529, ‘Omicron,’ is the latest Covid variant. But does this new Omicron Variant affect our children? What precautions should parents be taking? With the information that has been reported so far, here are frequently asked questions and answers about the Covid-19 variant.
Does Omicron Affect Children? Here’s What You Should Know About The Variant
Image source: iStock
Where did it come from?
This Covid variant was first identified in South Africa and reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November, 2021.
Why does it raise concern for all of us?
The Omicron variant is reported to be the most mutated form of Covid-19 thus far. It has 32 mutations to the spike protein.
The mutations come as a concern to scientists as they may allow the variant to evade existing vaccines. If it does, then the variant may spread quickly.
Where has it spread?
As of 27 November, the variant has been detected in the UK, South Africa, Israel, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Belgium.
While it has not been found in Singapore, the country is currently tracking the variant’s developments.
On Friday (26 November), Singapore also barred entry to long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with a recent travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
What symptoms have been detected so far?
Dr Angelique Coetzee, the first South African doctor who raised alarm about the variant, recently spoke to The Telegraph about the risks of Omicron. She shared that the symptoms of the new variant are “so different and so mild.”
Dr Coetzee also talked about the first time she was alerted to the possibility of a new variant. It was during her private practice in Pretoria earlier this month when patients started to come in with Covid symptoms that “did not make immediate sense.”
The patients included young people of different backgrounds and ethnicities who were experiencing intense fatigue. Although, none of them suffered from a loss of taste or smell.
In total, about two dozen of Dr Coetzee’s patients have tested positive for Covid-19 along with symptoms of the Omicron variant. She adds that they were mostly healthy men who came to them “feeling so tired” and about half of them were unvaccinated.
Can the variant be detected using PCR testing?
In their recent update on what there is to know about Omicron, WHO says PCR tests can detect infection with the new variant. But studies are still being conducted to determine whether it has any other impact on other types of tests.
Image source: iStock
Does The Omicron Variant Affect Children And The Elderly?
It seems even children are not spared from the Omicron Covid variant. Among the Covid-19 patients Dr Coetzee treated, one of them she took note of was a six-year-old child.
She says, “We had one very interesting case, a kid, about six years old, with a temperature and a very high pulse rate, and I wondered if I should admit her. But when I followed up two days later, she was so much better.”
While she made clear that her patients were all healthy, she was still worried that the new variant could harm the elderly.
“What we have to worry about now is that when older, unvaccinated people are infected with the new variant, and if they are not vaccinated, we are going to see many people with a severe [form of the] disease,” she tells The Telegraph.
5 Important Points About The Omicron Variant From WHO
1. Those who were previously infected with Covid-19 may be reinfected more easily with the Omicron variant.
Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with the new variant, according to WHO.
2. Not clear if Omicron is more transmissible.
As compared to the other variants, it is still unclear whether Omicron is more transmissible.
3. Studies are ongoing of the variant’s impact on vaccines.
It was also reported that WHO is currently working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of the Omicron variant on Covid vaccines.
4. Unclear if Omicron infection causes more severe illness.
As of now, there is no information that suggests symptoms of Omicron are different from other Covid variants.
5. Understanding the level of severity of the new variant will take days to several weeks.
Initial reported infections were reported to be among university studies of younger individuals with mild symptoms.
There is also preliminary data that suggests increased hospitalisation in South Africa. But instead of this being only a result of the Omicron variant, it may just be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected with Covid-19.
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