According to a U.S. research released on Friday, the majority of the 43 COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variation discovered in the United States so far were in persons who were completely vaccinated, and a third of them had had a booster dose.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States reported that 34 persons had been completely vaccinated in the 43 cases linked to the Omicron strain. Fourteen of them had also gotten a booster, albeit five of those incidents happened during the first 14 days following the extra shot, before full protection comes in.
Despite the tiny numbers, the findings add to mounting fears that conventional COVID-19 vaccinations may provide insufficient protection against the highly transmissible new variety.
After being discovered in late November in southern Africa and Hong Kong, the Omicron version of the coronavirus has been found through testing in around 22 states.
25 of the Omicron cases were in adults between the ages of 18 and 39, and 14 of them had travelled worldwide. Six persons had been afflicted with the coronavirus earlier.
According to the research, the majority of them merely had minor symptoms like coughing, congestion, and exhaustion, and one of them was hospitalized for only two days. Nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, diarrhoea, and loss of taste or smell are some of the less common symptoms.
While many of the initial reported Omicron cases appear to be mild, the CDC notes that there is a time lag between infection and potentially severe results. Vaccinated people and people who have had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection should also expect lesser symptoms know as natural immunity.
On December 1, the first known Omicron case in the United States was discovered in a fully vaccinated person who had been to South Africa. According to the CDC, the earliest date of symptom start in a person with a history of foreign travel was Nov. 15.
More than 99 percent of all cases in the United States are still caused by the Delta variety. However, data from South Africa indicate that the Omicron form is not extremely contagious and no need for concern as shown in South Africa.
The CDC warned that even if most instances are mild, a highly transmissible variety might cause enough infections to overwhelm health systems against what is being reported in South Africa.
Brought to you by: