#16,670
While all eyes are on the emerging Omicron variant, Delta continues to be the overwhelmingly dominant strain, and has recently been rising in many regions (see here, here, and here), making its biggest gains in Africa, the Western Pacific and Europe over the past week (see WHO chart below).
Overnight South Korea reported their highest 1-day total of cases since the pandemic began (n=5,123), a jump of 60% over the previous day's tally (n=3,032).
We'll have to wait to see if this is a short-lived anomaly, or a trend - but combined with the threat posed by Omicron - the South Korean Government has reportedly shelved plans to relax COVID-19 curbs (see CNBC Report). Yesterday South Korea also addressed plans to deal with the Omicron variant in the following (translated) document, which also discusses a suspected family cluster recently returned from Nigeria:
Date Created :2021-11-30 20:19
□ The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held an emergency meeting related to Omicron mutation on November 30 (Tuesday) to check the current status and response directions.
○ This is to urgently designate Omicron as a major mutation by WHO, and to analyze the current situation and discuss necessary measures in the future as the number of imported countries continues to increase.
□ Starting with today's meeting, the government will form a cross-ministerial task force* to preemptively discuss countermeasures against domestic inflows, and will continue to monitor the relevant situation and take a preemptive response.
* Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Office of National Affairs, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, etc.
○ The new mutation response TF will focus on ① measures to strengthen management of foreign inflows such as quarantine, ② measures to strengthen monitoring of domestic outbreaks and spreads, ③ measures to strengthen quarantine response such as epidemiological investigations upon inflow into the country, and ④ measures to strengthen patient management.
□ Meanwhile, a couple living in Incheon, who visited Nigeria (11.14.~11.23.), were suspected of having an Omicron mutation and are conducting a whole genome test to confirm the mutation.
○ The couple completed the Moderna vaccination on October 28 and returned to Korea after visiting Nigeria.
○ As a result of contact tracing after confirmation, one acquaintance* and one family living together** who supported the transfer from the airport to their home were additionally confirmed.
* Male in his 40s, confirmed on November 30, ** 1 out of 2 family members living together (in their teens) confirmed on November 30
○ As a result of the mutation PCR test on an acquaintance who was an additional confirmed patient this morning, Omicron was suspected.
Increasingly Nigeria is being mentioned as a focal point for Omicron, and this morning there are reports that the Nigerian CDC has retrospectively identified cases from last October. While this predates the South African announcement by a month, this doesn't tell us when, or from where, this new variant first emerged.
But it does speak to the head start this variant has had in its world tour, and helps explain why this new virus has shown up in so many countries over the past week.
A list that is certain to expand over the coming days.
