#16,369
The total number of Omicron cases detected in the UK has more than doubled over the past 24 hours (see yesterday's UK: Scotland Announces 6 Omicron Cases (Some Locally Acquired) & UKHSA Update On 3rd Case), and it seems likely that number will rise substantially over the next few days.
With growing evidence that this variant has been in Europe for at least 2 weeks - and probably longer - it is likely well into its world tour. Travel restrictions may slow its spread somewhat, but this virus is out of the bag.
Earlier today Israeli media reported on two doctors - both fully vaccinated - who have tested positive for Omicron, with one of them recently returning from a medical conference in London.
While I've not been able to find any official statement out of Israel, those with long memories will recall that some of the early spread of COVID into Europe was traced back to a business conference in Singapore.
The statement from the UKHSA follows:
Further 8 cases of Omicron variant confirmed
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified 8 further cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 in England, in addition to the previous 5 confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529. The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 13.
The individuals that have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating. Work is underway to identify any links to travel to Southern Africa. We have now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London and North West. UKHSA is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious.
Nine cases have also been identified in Scotland, with 5 cases in the Lanarkshire area and 4 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said:
We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy.
Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant – please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay.
Following the change in Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice yesterday, a booster dose for everyone over 18 years is now recommended at a minimum of 3 months from your last primary course jab. Please take up this offer as soon as you are invited to protect yourself, your families and your communities.
Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant.
It’s very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days as we are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing. That’s why it’s critical that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately.
UKHSA is acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission and protect lives. This will include analysing live samples of the new variant in our laboratories to investigate properties such as response to current vaccines.
As viruses mutate often and at random, it is not unusual for small numbers of cases to arise featuring new sets of mutations. Any variants showing evidence of spread are rapidly assessed.
