While new COVID-19 cases over the past week have been stable overall, there have been upticks in the African, Western Pacific and European regions according to the latest WHO epi update, which also noted that the African increase ‘was largely due to batch reporting of antigen tests by South Africa last week’ and therefore a trend to be interpreted with caution. The Western Pacific’s rise in new case numbers included increases in ‘Viet Nam (70%), Brunei Darussalam (40%), Republic of Korea (28%)’. The epi update includes a summary of the new variant of concern, Omicron, and a link to a technical brief outlining priority actions for Member States. The agency’s risk assessment on Omicron in the context of the pandemic is rated as very high, however it is noted that ‘The evidence for this assessment contains considerable uncertainty and will be updated as more information becomes available’. On Nov 30, the WHO published ‘WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529)’ providing recommendations to countries while ‘scientific research is underway to understand how the variant behaves’. More on the Omnicron variant from the WHO, Africa CDC and ECDC.
In related news:
- 'Patience is crucial': Why we won't know for weeks how dangerous Omicron is’ as detailed by the journal Science.
- Only 1 in 4 African health workers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 Read more
- Victoria Makes Australia’s First mRNA Vaccine Candidate, as explained by the Doherty Institute.
- The World Health Assembly is holding a special meeting to discuss mechanisms for an ‘international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response’.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.