A surge team is being deployed. [147], Portugal announces that on 22 December Omicron had become the dominant strain, accounting for 65.5% of cases, and Malaysia detects its first case. Takahash K, Ishikane M, Ujiie M, Iwamoto N, Okumura N, Sato T, et al. [161], South Korea reports the first two deaths of people who tested positive post mortem for Omicron. [9], South Africa makes its first report of B.1.1.529 (as it is scientifically known) to WHO,[1] based on samples that had been collected from 14 to 16 November. Do ketogenic diets elevate low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels? In Japan, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are admitted to hospital under the Infectious Diseases Control Law or the Quarantine Act and released only after two consecutive negative tests by nucleic acid amplification or antigen quantification methods. A woman who recently traveled from South Africa becomes both New Jersey and Georgia's first confirmed case. [111] Malaysia reports its second case,[112] and Poland its first. Other samples of the Omicron variant are collected in Botswana by South African scientists[7][8] under the aegis of Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa (NGS-SA). Thailand reports its first locally transmitted case. [166], India records its first death, a 74-year-old diabetic man with other comorbidities. analyse site usage and support us in providing free open access scientific content. New Zealand has reported four new cases at the border, bringing the total number of Omicron cases in the country to eight. WHO has named it Omicron, in line with naming protocols t.co/bSbVas9yds t.co/Gev1zIt1Ek", "Coronavirus latest news: EU suspends all flights to southern Africa over omicron Covid variant fears", "We have been made aware by @UKHSA of two UK cases of the Omicron variant. Accessibility [171], Peru register the highest rate of Covid-19 infections with 70,000 cases in a week, with Omicron variant being responsible for the third wave of infections. The two cases are linked and there is a connection with travel to southern Africa. [157], The second case of the Omicron variant has been confirmed in North Macedonia, in the town of Struga. But the good news is it's a much milder illness than past Covid infections, as long as you've had your booster dose. The case was detected on 26 November, a South African student entering the country to study at a private university. Study suggests vaccinated Omicron cases are unlikely to shed infectious Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said. Epub 2022 Nov 25. ", "New Covid variant: How worried should we be? Omicron: viral load can be at its highest at day five so cutting Preliminary data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseaseswhich conducts disease surveillance in Japansuggest that the amount of viral RNA is highest three to six days after diagnosis or symptom onset.1. 2022 Dec 22;10:1032957. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1032957. Because many COVID-19 tests can only detect COVID-19 . We observed an association between the dominant variant in cats and the timeline of variant emergence in the human population. The variant becomes the dominant strain in Scotland. [15][16][17] At this point there are 96 confirmed cases worldwide in South Africa, Botswana,[18] England,[19] Hong Kong,[20] Italy,[21] Israel,[22] and Belgium,[23] and 2 probable cases in Germany[24] and 1 in Czech Republic. Duration of Infectious Virus Shedding by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant The two cases traveled from Nigeria arriving in the country from Hong Kong on 25 November. How Long Does Omicron Take to Make You Sick? - The Atlantic [190], On 9 January 2023 the European CDC said there was suggestive evidence the XBB.1.5 variant had a growth advantage; after becoming dominant in the USA, it might become dominant in Europe in the following months.[191]. Furthermore, please note that some events may only be fully understood and/or discovered in retrospect. [66] Iceland also reports its first case, a triply-vaccinated individual who had not traveled abroad;[67] Greece announces its first case (in Crete), an individual who had traveled to South Africa. What are the trends in severe outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic? These cases are connected to the 18 suspected cases dating back to 16 December. Duration of Omicron variant shedding isolated from upper respiratory samples collected from the reported case-patients in Japan. Duration of Infectious Virus Shedding by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant-Infected Vaccinees. [3], The first confirmed sample of what would eventually be named the Omicron variant by the World Health Organization (WHO) is collected in South Africa.[4][5][6]. The extensive mutations of its spike proteins make for the Omicron variant. Scientists Look for Signs", "Covid-19: 82 nouveaux cas du variant Omicron dtects en Algrie", "US omicron peak: Fauci predicts steep drop in cases toward 'end of January', "Beijing reports its first locally transmitted Omicron variant case", "Beijing Says International Mail Is Possible Culprit in First Omicron Case", "France Logs Nearly Half A Million Record Covid Cases Amid Omicron Surge", "Coronavirus: 400 cas du variant Omicron enregistrs en Algrie", "Covid-19 update: 45 new community cases, 34 Omicron cases added to total", "Covid-19 update: 105 new community cases, 15 new Omicron cases identified", "Why Omicron-infected white-tailed deer pose an especially big risk to humans", "Fast-Spreading Covid-19 Omicron Type Revives Questions About Opening Up", "Omicron sublineage BA.2.75.2 exhibits extensive escape from neutralising antibodies", "Update on SARS-CoV-2 variants: ECDC assessment of the XBB.1.5 sub-lineage", Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement, neurological, psychological and other mental health outcomes, Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing, Zhongyianke BiotechLiaoning Maokangyuan Biotech, Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, Sancaktepe Prof. Dr. Feriha z Emergency Hospital, Yeilky Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Acceleration Task Force, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country, Tests, cases, tests per capita, cases per capita by country subdivision, World map by countries: confirmed per capita, Morocco (including occupied Western Sahara), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timeline_of_the_SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant&oldid=1134166112, Timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, CS1 Chinese (Hong Kong)-language sources (zh-hk), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Railroads in Europe were also affected, albeit not to the same extent. From nanoparticle-based enrichment to mass spec refinements, they explore how these tools facilitate unbiased, deep, and rapid proteomics. To see how transmissible or contagious the Omicron variant is, it's helpful to look at the timeline of the spread of the disease: The variantthen known as B.1.1.529was reported to the World . [104] In England 20 cases are in hospital. Coronavirus Incubation Period: How Long and When Most Contagious - WebMD and transmitted securely. Omicron Infection Timeline: Exposure to Immunity - Health Of course if you are certain you are unwell and you don't want to pass this on, you may do a self-imposed isolation. Evaluating the association between Mediterranean Diet adherence and type 2 diabetes using nutritional biomarkers. The two people, who were fully vaccinated, entered isolation; 12 other travelers from southern Africa also entered quarantine for fourteen days, while about 260 other passengers and crew on the flight have been directed to isolate. 8600 Rockville Pike The samples were examined by nucleic acid amplification test and viral culture. Author Ingrid Torjesen 1 Affiliation 1 The BMJ. If you test negative on lateral flows 24 hours apart on day six and seven you can then leave home. [105], Algeria reports its first case, a foreign national who entered Algeria on December 10 and tested positive at the Algiers International Airport. An exploration of the pathophysiological factors and abnormalities of coagulation of long-COVID, High-protein diet counters adaptive thermogenesis in prediabetic individuals. Saliva or nasopharyngeal samples collected from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive cases at the airport quarantines were transferred to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases(NIID) to confirm infection by the Omicron variant. The latest evidence does not show the Omicron variant is contagious for less time than previous versions of the virus that causes COVID-19, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday . Omicron Incubation Period Is 3 DaysWhat That Means - Health A new study conducted by Japanese researchers has shown that peak viral loads in people infected with omicron occur between 3 to 6 days after the onset of symptoms. [10], The variation first comes to public notice[11] at a virtual press conference called by the Health Department of South Africa. Preliminary data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseaseswhich conducts disease surveillance in Japansuggest that the amount of viral RNA is highest three to . Additionally it was announced via Twitter that Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola were to be added to the UK's Red List as of Sunday at 4:00a.m. GMT[27] genomic sequencing having been performed overnight, thus joining South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Concerns that these discharge criteria may lead to prolonged hospital stays led the National Institute of Infectious Diseases to examine the duration of virus shedding to determine the period of potential infectiousness for patients with omicron. 2023 Feb;29(2):133-134. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.11.019. Stage three is when early symptoms start to pop up, like lower back ache, night sweats and a scratchy throat. United Airlines cancels 185 of its mainline flights, 10% of its schedule, and Deutsche Lufthansa AG's robust holiday contingency plans were overwhelmed by the unexpected rise in sick leave. So have we seen economic drivers overtake scientific rationale for COVID management plans? MeSH Methods: Israel confirms seven cases of the Omicron variant resulting from overseas travel including five from South Africa, one from Malawi, and one from the United Kingdom. "[88], Pakistan reports its first suspected case. Infectious virus shedding was detected in 30% of patients up to two days after the resolution of symptoms, but no virus shedding was detected beyond three days of symptoms resolution. [83], Fiji confirmed its first two cases of the variant. Today I have declared a major incident in London because of the serious threat of COVID-19 to our city. Out of the 18 patients, 15 patients were symptomatic, and three were asymptomatic. Nevertheless, the duration of isolation for mild cases was shortened to 5 to 7 days. If Covid becomes an endemic . [91], Singapore detects its first case of community transmission, an airport frontline worker. Duration of viable virus shedding in SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant Paul, Sangeeta. )[120] Seven to ten percent of new confirmed coronavirus cases in France are suspected to be of the Omicron variant and the travel ban on the UK comes into force. Discussion: Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said. Mutation data from, Timeline of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa, "Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern", "Structure, Function, and Antigenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein", "Inside SA leg of Omicron variant discovery: A single test result, a missing gene, and an email", "Omicron becomes dominant variant in South Africa", "SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing Update 1 December 2021", "Heavily mutated coronavirus variant puts scientists on alert", "COVID-19: How the spread of Omicron went from patient zero to all around the globe", "Omicron: How dangerous is the new variant first found in South Africa? Indicative of a relatively low viral load, this sequence of events prompted concerns over possible community transmission. Careers. (2022, March 18). [122] In Denmark it accounts for one-fifth of all cases,[123] and in Ireland 35%. When boarding a plane and entering Switzerland, all persons travelling from the UK must present a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine for 10 days. [107], Mainland China reports its second case, a returnee who had landed at Shanghai International Airport. Sangeeta Paul is a researcher and medical writer based in Gurugram, India. Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 83 respiratory specimens from 21 cases using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and virus isolation tests revealed that the amount of viral RNA was highest three to six days after diagnosis or symptom onset, and then gradually decreased. eCollection 2022 Dec. Front Public Health. Epub 2022 Nov 8. Of course some people won't see any at all throughout their entire infection. University of East London provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. technical support for your product directly (links go to external sites): Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about The BMJ. But if you are spending more time indoors with no ventilation you stand a stronger chance of having caught it there. Even if the answer is yes, they say, rates of hospitalization could be high during the surge. Here's a look at number of cases reported acr", "Covid live: US reports highest seven-day cases average since January; UK 'considering door-to-door vaccinations', "England hospital Covid admissions highest since February; France announces new curbs as it happened", "CDC drastically drops estimate of US Omicron cases", "Covid news live: France accelerates introduction of vaccine passes; Europe cases at record highs", "New Zealand reports first community exposure to Omicron", "Covid-19: Omicron border case active in the community is DJ Dimension", "Coronavirus: 12 nouveaux cas du variant Omicron dtects en Algrie", "The second case with Omicron is registered in Northern Macedonia | txtreport.com", "Omicron Pushes Short-Staffed Urgent Care Centers to the Brink", "US to lift Omicron travel ban on eight African countries", "Covid-19: WHO chief optimistic disease will be beaten in 2022", "Omicron daily overview: 31 December 2021", "S.Korea reports first deaths linked to Omicron coronavirus variant - Yonhap", "Italy reports record 170,844 cases and 259 deaths; fourth jab gives five-fold antibody boost, study says as it happened", "U.S. reports over 1 million new daily Covid cases as omicron surges", "Omicron's feeble attack on the lungs could make it less dangerous", "Covid-19: India records first death linked to Omicron variant", "Covid: Deadly Omicron should not be called mild, warns WHO", "Military deployed at London hospitals due to Omicron staff shortages", "Covid-19: 47 nouveaux cas du variant Omicron dtects en Algrie", "Covid live news: UK minister says cutting self-isolation would be 'helpful'; Philippines sets new daily case record", "Peru reports highest-ever weekly COVID-19 case count as Omicron spreads", "Covid: Half of Europe to be infected with Omicron within weeks - WHO", "Will Record Omicron Cases Cause a Surge in the Severely Ill? Association between immunity and viral shedding duration in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients. From Monday, January 17, people in England will be able to leave isolation after two negative lateral flow tests (taken 24 hours apart) from day five. Both people had landed in Sydney the previous day, and had traveled from southern Africa to Sydney via Doha, Qatar. [31] A comprehensive UK-based systematic review of 79 papers from around the world (excluding those with very low case numbers) reviewed viral shedding of 5,340 infected people. 2022 May. Dynamics of viral shedding during ancestral or Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 infection and enhancement of pre-existing immunity during breakthrough infections. Do a lateral flow first, and then a PCR if it comes back positive. Omicron appears to cause less severe disease than Delta. Trending Now: "That basically tells us it's inherently more transmissible," said Mge evik, a clinical lecturer in infectious diseases and medical virology at the University of St . [177][178] Authorities have published a detailed account of the patient's activities dating back to December 31, quarantined his workplace and residential compound, and collected 2,430 testing samples from these two locations. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Before [186], New Zealand has reported 15 new Omicron cases, bringing the total number of Omicron community cases to 105. doi: 10.1136/bmj.o89. Let us consider the scientific justification for the recommended isolation periods. In other words, the data supported a ten-day isolation period. Duration of Infectious Virus Shedding by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VariantInfected Vaccinees, Study reveals survival time of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: Implications for public health, Adapting for endemic not pandemic: Time to reassess universal masking in healthcare, Study indicates that SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to gain increased replicative fitness and become well-adapted in epithelial cells of human airways, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/5/22-0197_article, Omicron spike N679K mutation acts as a loss-of-function mutation attenuating SARS-CoV-2 in vitro & in vivo. [78], Eight cases of community transmission, unrelated to each other, are reported in New York. This timeline of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (November 2021 - February 2022) is a dynamic list, and as such may never satisfy criteria of completeness. Study: Active epidemiological investigation on SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by Omicron variant (Pango lineage B.1.1.529) in Japan: preliminary report on infectious period.Image Credit: judyjump . See this image and copyright information in PMC. SARS-CoV-2 culture positivity and its relationship with the presence of the symptom. "Among 43 cases with initial follow-up, one hospitalization and no deaths were reported. CDC estimates that Omicron accounts for 73% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., up from 3% the week prior. Omicron's apparent shorter incubation period is important for a few reasons. [84], The Omicron variant features as such for the first time in the overview of WHO's weekly operational update, namely "Supporting Omicron variant detection and COVID-19 response in southern Africa." [176], Beijing reports its first locally transmitted case, in the Haidian district. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, due to its high infectivity and transmissibility, has rapidly spread worldwide. Viral culture positivity, negativity, and cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive samples on 5, 7, 10, and 14days after the onset of symptoms. doi: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2805.220197 https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/5/22-0197_article, Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Disease/Infection News, Tags: Assay, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Disease COVID-19, covid-19, Genome, Infectious Diseases, Influenza, Nasopharyngeal, Omicron, Polymerase, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Respiratory, Reverse Transcriptase, Ribonucleic Acid, RNA, SARS, SARS-CoV-2, Severe Acute Respiratory, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Syndrome, Virus. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Previously just under half of covid-19 cases were detected by testing, but since omicron emerged this figure had dropped to under a third, he said. Im still working my way through the evidence for and against given that the Japanese study has now shifted the balance, he said. Results: [71] The event had 53,000 attendees, all of whom were urged to get tested (along with staff and exhibitors) inasmuch as authorities feared it as having been a superspreader event. Short-Term Effectiveness of Oral Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant and Culture-Positive Viral Shedding. The evidence suggests that at day five many people will still be shedding viable virus, potentially resulting in considerable onward COVID spread. Benjamin Meyer, a virologist at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, says he too was stunned . Moreover, the assay results for virus isolation and infectivity depend on the sample collection procedure, storage conditions, and duration. Few studies have reported the clinical course and virus shedding duration in Omicron-infected patients based on quantification cycle (Cq) values. Research published in April 2022 in The Lancet also found that . Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, 2000-2023. A few studies have suggested a slightly shorter period of viral shedding in people with no symptoms, but decisions on national policy must be based on all infections, not just a sub-set. [51] Omicron is now the most dominant strain of coronavirus in the U.S., and its incubation period may be shorter than those of previous variants. The 18 case-patients studied were SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated, at least more than 14 days before COVID-19 diagnosis. Epub 2022 Mar 15. [25][26], The first two cases in the United Kingdom are announced. But most people will spend a couple without any signs they are ill - unaware they are in the viruses incubation period. It will have some value for people in healthcare settings who are managing really ill people, but were getting to the pointprobably soon, if were not there alreadywhere the value will be less, he said. Maryland has its first three cases, and Pennsylvania and Missouri one each. Viral load of omicron can be at its highest at day five so cutting Among the patients who became symptom-free, the viral culture positivity rates were 100% (4/4), 58% (7/12), 11% (3/27), and 5% (2/41). However, despite all these stages, you may miss them all together and just test positive when doing the lateral flows we should all be taking regularly. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance Professor, Medical Microbiology, University of East London. South African scientists begin seeing samples where PCR tests have S-gene target failure (which occurs in a few variants, but not in Delta which had by far dominated in the country in October), alerting them to a change in epidemiology. [148] Also, the confirmed first case in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is reported. First, it affects when people should test after an exposure. Li X, Liu Y, Xu G, Xie Y, Wang X, Wu J, Chen H. Cell Death Dis. Active epidemiological investigation on SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by Omicron variant (Pango lineage B.1.1.529) in Japan: preliminary report on infectious period. [168] Britain deploys 200 military personnel to assist London hospitals, including 20 doctors. Investigation of a SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Cluster - CDC [29], Two Danish returnees from South Africa test positive,[30] and another two people with recent travel in Nigeria test positive in Ottawa, Canada. [32] The BCG vaccine does not decrease the risk of COVID-19 in healthcare workers, Novel self-amplifying RNA vaccine confers durable protection against COVID-19, reduces viral shedding in primate study, Protein OCLN found to play crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 cell-to-cell transmission. CDC revises its Omicron estimate from comprising 73% to 59% of all Covid cases in the U.S. Thailand identifies its first superspreader event. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Furthermore, please note that some events may only be fully understood and/or discovered in retrospect. 2022;28:9981001. Now word has it that the newest kid on the pandemic block . Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. However, the study has limitations in that infectious virus was characterized through assays in only 18 patients and the infectivity outside the study was unknown. The variant is now in 89 counties, and its severity profile remains unknown. He was undertaking mandatory isolation in the Howard Springs quarantine facility in the Northern Territory. Severe COVID-19 pneumonia: pathogenesis and clinical management. The decision for cessation of isolation according to the presence of symptoms could be reconsidered until further studies disapprove of our results. Follow our Covid live blog for all the latest news & stories. We use cookies to enhance your experience. [165], A news article on Nature reports there are signals that Omicron does not multiply readily in lung tissue. [113] The antibody treatment Evusheld produced by AstraZeneca is shown to retain neutralising activity against Omicron, whereas Regeneron's Ronapreve therapy proves to be less effective. [75] There are now ten cases in the U.S., in California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York, and in Hawaii, where the person had no recent travel history. The study reflected the findings of the systematic . [175], US reported its peak number of infections by Omicron variant, US Presidential Chief Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that the Omicron cases would drop by the end of January. Vsledek jejho testu oekvme, je te v izolaci a trasuj se vechny kontakty", "2 cases of Omicron variant detected in the UK, health secretary says", "Boris Johnson tightens rules on travel and mask-wearing over Omicron concerns", "UPDATE - The UK has been added to Switzerland's risk country list. Further information will follow on t.co/2BBu56C1mp t.co/x7i42O9vAU", "Omicron coronavirus variant spreads with cases detected in Netherlands, Denmark, Australia", "Covid: Third case of Omicron variant detected in the UK", "Israel seals borders and Morocco bans flights as Omicron Covid fears rise", "Canada's first cases of the omicron coronavirus variant confirmed in Ottawa", "Omicron: How two flights to Europe may have spurred spread of new Covid variant", "BREAKING13 #Omicron variant cases now confirmed from 61 #COVID19 cases among ~600 passengers on two flights from South Africa to Amsterdam (that took off and was mid-air when EU travel limits added). FOIA If you are unable to import citations, please contact The .gov means its official. Nebraska's number of cases increases to six, all in its southeast. Studies suggest that Omicron infections can last in the body for up to 10 days. [161], The UKHSA announced that as of 1 January 2022, Omicron would no longer be reported separately in the daily statistics because the variant of concern had become the dominant strain in England. OMICRON has swept through the UK, with most people now knowing someone who has tested positive - if not themselves. "Duration of Omicron variant shedding isolated from upper respiratory samples collected from the reported case-patients in Japan". But only Covid isolation has a strict number of days indoors and with no contact with other people that you must adhere to. [124], Qatar reports its first four cases, imported from abroad. [47][48], The affairs ministry of South Africa said that it was dismayed by its 'punishment' for discovering the variant and that 'excellent science should be applauded and not punished'. Preliminary data hint at what makes Omicron spread so readily - STAT In the United States, 80% of the COVID-19 cases in the. In the first months of 2022, an Omicron . Meanwhile, the infected HCWs who give care to high-risk patients for severe COVID-19 might extend their isolations 10 days after the onset of symptoms, regardless of their symptoms. More than 70 percent of sequenced samples from Gauteng province in South Africa are Omicron, indicating that it already has become the dominant variant in the province.