By Angelina Hu
Over the past month, the new variant of the coronavirus called Omicron has begun making its way across the globe, having now been found on every continent. It has, so far, shown itself to be less deadly, presenting symptoms that generally tend to be mild, but it is far more contagious than the Delta variant. Many cases have been in younger individuals who are fully vaccinated. Here is a quick rundown as of December 12th.
The new variant was first identified in South Africa on November 24th. The World Health Organization (WHO) named it “Omicron” on November 26th after the fifteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. Its absolute origins are still unclear; however, the variant had been in Africa since as early as November 11th, and as such, people who traveled to and from the region before travel bans were put up inevitably spread it to other countries. The United States and United Kingdom immediately imposed travel bans on South Africa in the following days, but this would prove to be too little and too late quite soon.
Omicron was first identified in Europe on November 27th in two individuals in the United Kingdom. Following that, it was identified in the United States in California on December 3rd. Nine days later, 28 states have reported cases, which add up to 43 total throughout the country. In New York state alone, as of December 9th, there were 20 total confirmed cases, thirteen of which were in New York City.
In addition, starting on December 13th, an indoor mask mandate for all public spaces was put into effect. Also, the New York City vaccine mandate for all private businesses goes into effect on December 27th. The winter months are projected to bring a rise in cases; the double shot vaccine is ineffective against Omicron due to the fact that it has over 30 mutations. Fortunately, it has since been proven that the booster shot helps decrease chances of being infected by Omicron (although it doesn’t entirely eliminate the risk). Boosters are currently available for everyone sixteen and older.
The Delta variant is still responsible for the vast majority of hospitalizations in the US, though. Only one omicron case has resulted in hospitalization, and no deaths have occurred. Globally, however, Covid in general is taking its toll, especially with the addition of a new variant with higher transmission rates. The UK currently has nearly 2,000 cases, and are projected to face up to 75,000 deaths this winter. Meanwhile, South Africa has been facing a steep increase in cases, with 62,000 new cases reported between November 29th and December 5th. Although not all of those cases are Omicron, only 7% of Africa’s population is vaccinated, so concerns will be rising with the next few months.
