UK records many cases of Omicron variant infection despite full vaccination
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), many cases of the Omicron variant in England have been recorded so far in people who have received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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| Medical staff take COVID-19 test samples from people in London, UK on October 20, 2020. Illustration photo: AFP/TTXVN |
Of the 22 cases of the Omicron variant confirmed in England as of November 30, 12 were detected more than 14 days after receiving their last vaccination. Two cases were detected more than 28 days after receiving their first vaccination; six were unvaccinated and two had no vaccination information. None of the 22 cases were hospitalized or died from COVID-19.
The UKHSA said the majority of cases of the Omicron variant were very recent. The data does not show how well the vaccine protects against the Omicron variant, while the majority of cases of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant are in people who have been fully vaccinated.
Scientists say that with 30 mutations, the Omicron variant has the highest number of mutations to date. The UKHSA has issued a new risk assessment of the Omicron variant, warning of a "red" warning about the variant's ability to evade the immune response after vaccination as well as the body's natural immune response due to the high number of mutations. The UKHSA also warns of a "red" warning about the possibility that the Omicron variant could reduce antibody binding.
According to UKHSA, the Omicron variant is more contagious and spreads faster than the Delta variant. PCR tests can distinguish the Omicron variant from other variants.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Omicron variant can be detected in the absence of the S gene in the test sample.
As of December 1, the UK recorded 32 cases of the Omicron variant and more than 82,000 cases of the Delta variant. Accordingly, the total number of COVID-19 cases caused by these two variants in the UK reached at least 1.4 million cases. In the 24 hours up to 9:00 a.m. on December 3, UK time, the country had 50,584 new COVID-19 cases and 143 deaths. More than 80% of the UK population aged 12 and over have completed vaccination.
