The world make a shocklast weekwhen a new and particularly touch on form of COVID-19 – now dubbed the Omicron chance variable – was spotted in southern Africa . Very quickly , scientistssounded the warning machine : the Omicron variant , they warned , could be the worst chance variable yet .

After the past few days’slewof bad word , though , here’scause for optimism : former evidence suggests that most Omicron cases are “ modest ” – and there ’s nothing so far that shows any decrease in vaccinum efficacy against the young strain   – accord to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .

verbalize to Reuters , an official from the Organization said that while there ’s still a lot that ’s unknown about the new variant , most cases seem to be balmy . Although we ’re jolly far from anything conclusive about the new var. , that would certainly harmonise with what Dr. on the ground are say . According to South African physician Dr Angelique Coetzee , who was one of the very first to suspect a novel variant was circulating , Omicron typically stimulate “ very , very modest symptoms ” – including no reported loss of smell or taste and no major drop in oxygen stratum . None of the infection she ’s get a line have ensue in hospitalization , although it ’s important to observe that those other infections were report in young someone .

“ We have been capable to treat these patients guardedly at home , ” Coetzee toldReuterson Sunday . “ The most overriding clinical complaint is severe weariness for one or two mean solar day . With them , the headache and the body ache and pain . ”

In neighbor Botswana , one wellness official reported on Tuesday that 16 out of the 19 reported cases of Omicron were whole symptomless . That ’s more than 84 percent of font , albeit in just a small sample .

Despite concerns Omicron may be more transmissible , vaccines are still probable toprotectagainst severe sickness , scientist in South Africasay . Studies into the accurate shock on vaccinum efficacy havealready start , but it ’s likely to be a few weeks until we have a go at it for trusted . Of naturally , that does signify we ca n’t say vaccines will work just as well against Omicron as they have against previous strain – but we ca n’t say we ’re doomed either .

“ We do n’t have enough data point to square up vaccine potency against Omicron or disease rigour , so any claims about either at this stage are not evidence - based , ” Raina MacIntyre , prof of orbicular biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney , toldBloombergon Sunday . “ So far , the virus has not mutated to become less grave   – in fact the inverse . ”

As well as these pieces of welcome news , the WHO also advocate “ an evidence - inform and risk - base approach ” regarding travel ban . More than 50 countries have begun the process of implementing locomotion Bachelor of Arts in Nursing aim at curtailing the ranch of the new Omicron random variable , but the WHO cautioned that such move “ target a heavy burden on lifetime and support . ”