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Cases of new corona virus known as Omicron are spreading across the globe. The variant is supposed to have originated in South Africa. It has already made its appearance in dozen or so countries. Since its identification in Botswana and South Africa, scientists have found it has faster rate of transmission than previous variants.
As the data so far is limited, there is no consensus amongst scientists over its understanding. Studies of the mutation are evolving. So far it has been found to cause fatalities; however, there will be more clarity about its symptoms and treatment.
What Are Symptoms of Omicron Variant
It is new variant so knowledge about its symptoms is limited. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and tiredness, loss of taste or smell. According to the scientists working at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) of South Africa said that the variant did not cause any unusual symptoms.
Like delta variant, a large percentage of infected persons might remain asymptomatic. There is fear in the general populace. As per the present information it has displayed any symptoms that should cause undue worry.
Precautions for omicron variant
Emergence of the new variant has made it clear that the pandemic is not over. So it is imperative that people continue to observe covid appropriate behavior. However, all the top experts have repeated that vaccination remains critical.
Vaccination is the only way for protection against the fast transmissible variant. High risk groups must ensure vaccination as it is vulnerable to death and hospitalization. With the help of real-time data, it is clear that it has significantly reduced the burden on health services.
As we are aware with the discovery of the new variant, the importance of covid-appropriate behavior cannot be over-emphasized to break the chain of transmission. Everybody must wear masks; observe social distancing, wash hands and surfaces.
Is Omicron a Cause of Concern
Governments across the globe have acted swiftly since the discovery of the new variant. Many countries have banned flights from the African country. Some countries like Israel and Japan have completely banned the entry of foreigners.
The WHO has termed Omicron as a variant of concern. It has been around for weeks and might have spread to a lot of countries undetected. Due to its rapid transmission, there are chances that it will emerge as the dominant variant in most of the countries.
The variant might even cause a record number of infections. However, it can even infect some of vaccinated people. As the data is not conclusive yet it cannot be determined how big risk it might prove to be.