First case of concerning Omicron variant of corona virus has been confirmed in Ireland. According to the NPHET, out of eight genome sequencings carried out, one was identified to be Omicron.
It is believed that the case is related to a recent travel.
Though the variant is confirmed in Ireland, there are no evidence of community transmission of Omicron, Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory Dr. Cillian De Gascun said.
“I suppose the thing I would highlight is that what the virus needs is obviously it’s a combination of a transmission advantage and enhanced socialisation to actually transmit from person to person. If we look at Omicron at the moment, we still don’t really have as much definitive evidence of its transmission advantage.” he said.
“We don’t see any level of evidence at least of community transmission of this variant in Ireland and I think that’s a key measure or the importance of travel measures.”
Omicron was first detected on November 9th in South Africa. According to the reports, the variant has had 30 mutations and that may make it more transmissible than previous variants. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Omicron as a ‘variant of concern.’
As a preventive measure, many countries including that of EU have brought strict restrictions such as hotel quarantine and testing upon arrival for travelers from seven south African countries.