Omicron: More than 1000 cases in UK already predicts expert

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Today’s new Omicron cases take the total number to 336, sparking concern the latest variant could be spreading faster than previous various versions of coronavirus. Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed community transmission is taking place in the UK, saying he could not guarantee the variant would not “knock us off our road to recovery”.

The news comes as another 51,459 cases of COVID were reported in the last 24 hours, with 41 new deaths.

The UK Health Security Agency said 64 of the latest Omicron cases were in England, 23 in Scotland and three were identified in Wales, whereas no cases have been found in Northern Ireland.

There is now increasing concern the new variant could be spreading even more quickly than the Delta variant – which plunged the UK into lockdown last winter and lead to the ‘cancellation’ of Christmas just days before December 25.

Experts are still uncertain about how quickly the Omicron variant is spreading.

READ MORE: Sajid Javid delivers Omicron update – New Covid rules in full

Professor Paul Hunter, from the school of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “I think the early signs are that it will probably spread quite quickly and probably start outcompeting Delta and become the dominant variant probably within the next weeks or a month or so at least.

“The big remaining question is actually how harmful it is if you do get COVID with this Omicron variant, and that’s the question that we’re struggling to answer at the moment.”

Deputy chief medical officer for England, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said scientists are increasingly concerned about the new variant, which has multiple mutations not seen before on other strains of the virus.

He said more will be known about the Omicron variant in the coming weeks, and that the “number of mutations present, already on first principle, makes us worry about a possible effect on vaccine effectiveness”.

The Omicron variant has some 30 mutations and is currently thought to have a higher reinfection risk.

Data on infections in South Africa, where Omicron was first detected, shows the speed at which the variant is spreading outpaces Delta and other variants such as Alpha and Beta.

Professor Willem Hanekom said “reinfections seem to be more common during this wave so far”, which could suggest the variant “may resist some aspects of the immunity that we have to protect ourselves”.

However, all of this seems to be of little concern for Boris Johnson, who denied claims by the UK’s leading scientists that his current restrictions including closing off travel to and from the worst affected countries, don’t go far enough in hampering the spread.

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The Prime Minister said: “No, I think what we’re doing is responding to the pandemic.

“I don’t think we need to change the overall guidance and advice we’re giving about Omicron in this country.

“We’re still waiting to see exactly how dangerous it is, what sort of effect it has in terms of deaths and hospitalisations.”

The UK’s travel red list was cleared of all countries in October, but concerns over the new variant mean 11 countries and territories in Africa have been added.

These are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Pre-departure tests for those travelling to the UK have also been reintroduced regardless of vaccination status.

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