COVID: What we know about the omicron variant
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
A new chapter in the unceasing COVID
19 pandemic is beginning to take
shape as the latest variant known as
omicron has put the globe on alert.
Since Nov. 24, when the latest strain
was reported to the World Health Organization
(WHO), health offi cials
have now detected omicron in more
than a dozen countries across at least
fi ve continents.
On Wednesday, the fi rst known
case of the variant in the United States
was confi rmed in California, by a fully
vaccinated traveler who had just returned
from traveling in South Africa
to the San Francisco area on Nov. 22
and tested positive on Nov. 29.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci,
the nation’s leading epidemiologist,
the person had not received a booster
shot and was experiencing mild symptoms.
Entering Wednesday, the Bronx has
averaged 172 new confi rmed cases per
day — a rate of 12.7 cases per 100,000 —
this past week, with City Island being
one of the highest pockets of infection.
The City Island 10464 ZIP code
saw a seven-day average of 16.7 cases
per 100,000, roughly 6 cases above the
city’s seven-day median caseload average.
Death rates remain low in the Bronx,
and vaccinations continue to climb for
the northernmost borough as 73.3% of
Bronxites have received at least one dose
and 63.6% are fully vaccinated.
A major safeguard for New Yorkers
is the high vaccination rate of the state,
which currently sits at 76.7%. The Bronx,
formerly the least-vaccinated borough in
NYC, has seen major progress with four
ZIP codes — Riverdale’s 10471, Morris
Park’s 10461, Parkchester’s 10462 and
City Island’s 10464 — having 80% of its
residents receive at least one dose of the
vaccine.
Although the omicron variant has
yet to be detected in New York’s fi veborough
area as of Wednesday morning,
New York City has issued a health
advisory that recommends all residents
wear a mask indoors and in public settings.
The new advisory falls short of
a citywide mask mandate, city Health
Travelers line up for a COVID-19 test in NYC. Photo credit: Carlo Allegri, Reuters
Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said in
a briefi ng Monday.
On the national front, President Joe
Biden has urged precaution over panic,
as scientists said they needed weeks to
understand the true threat of the omicron
variant. However, Fauci, the nation’s
leading epidemiologist, said Tuesday
that the global case tally for omicron
will “change rapidly” as it spreads.
“Confi rmed cases as of yesterday
were 205 in 18 countries, and just this
morning, that’s gone up to 226 in 20
countries — and I think you’re going to
expect to see those numbers change rapidly,”
Fauci said at the briefi ng.
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Dutch health authorities announced
Tuesday that they found the new omicron
variant in cases dating back as long
as 11 days, indicating that it was already
spreading in Western Europe before the
fi rst cases were identifi ed in South Africa.
As of Dec. 1, these countries have
found cases of the omicron variant:
Austria: 1 case
Belgium: 1 case
Botswana: 19 cases
Brazil: 2 cases
Canada: 6 cases
Czech Republic: 1 case
Denmark: 4 cases
France: 1 case (on Reunion Island)
Germany: 9 cases
Hong Kong: 4 cases
Israel: 4 cases
Italy: 9 cases
Japan: 2 cases
Netherlands: 16 cases
Nigeria: 3 cases
Norway: 2 cases
Portugal: 13 cases
Saudi Arabia: 1 case
South Africa: 77 cases
Spain: 2 cases
Sweden: 3 cases
United Kingdom: 22 cases
United States: 1 case
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