The new Corona variant B.1.1.529 is found in Europe. The risk of infection is high with Omikron. Now uniform nationwide measures would have to be found quickly.
- A new variant B.1.1.529 of the coronavirus has been discovered in South Africa. It could be more contagious than the Delta variant.
- Omikron is also appearing for the first time in Europe – many countries are responding with travel restrictions.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies the new corona variant as “worrying” in the pandemic.
+++ 1:21 p.m.: In view of a suspected Omikron case in Germany, the Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) has spoken out in favor of a quick Prime Minister conference. One is again facing a “zero hour in the fight against pandemics,” said Hans after a message from the State Chancellery in Saarbrücken on Saturday. “A national emergency requires all federal states to close ranks, as well as the old and new federal governments.”
Nationwide measures to contain it are needed quickly, bottlenecks in the provision of vaccines must be eliminated with all their might, said Hans – “so that the vaccination turbo can now be ignited from the doctor’s practice to the vaccination centers”. Dentists, veterinarians and pharmacies should also be involved in the vaccination campaign. “You need an Omikron MPK with a managing and a new federal government – every day counts,” said Hans.
Corona variant Omikron: Virologist worried, but vaccinations help
+++ 12.42 p.m.: The Munich virologist Ulrike Protzer is concerned about the new coronavirus variant discovered in southern Africa. The variant B.1.1.529 could lead to the virus multiplying faster or becoming more infectious, said Protzer on Saturday (November 27, 2021) on Deutschlandfunk.
When asked whether current corona vaccines still work sufficiently against the Omikron variant, the virologist said it was possible that antibodies could no longer neutralize the virus as efficiently. Fresh after a vaccination, however, there are many antibodies – that is enough to “neutralize away” variant viruses. If it has been a while since the vaccination, booster vaccinations could “boost” the immune system. “And then, we all assume, that should be enough again,” said Protzer. At the same time, she advised booster vaccinations with the vaccines that are now available. It is not yet possible to say whether you will need another vaccination later or an adapted vaccine.
+++ 10:21 am: The Corona variant Omikron (B.1.1.529) is “with a very high probability already in Germany”. The Hessian Minister of Social Affairs Kai Klose announced this on Saturday morning (November 27, 2021, 9.42 a.m.) via Twitter. The final result of the sequencing is still pending.
Corona variant Omikron: virus load in infected people “incredibly high”
+++ 09.19 a.m.: The two confirmed Omikron infected people in Hong Kong apparently have a very rapidly increasing viral load. The PCR tests of the two men who had turned out negative a few days earlier had a Ct value of 18 and 19. “That is incredibly high, especially when you consider that the two were still negative in the last PCR tests “, Writes the epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, who did research at Harvard University for a long time. It looks as if the variant could actually escape vaccination protection, Feigl-Ding continued.
A high Ct value (≥ 30) means that a person has a low viral load and is not very contagious. A low CT value means a high viral load and a high risk of infection.
According to the Hong Kong government, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was introduced by a traveler from South Africa who had been in a quarantine hotel since arriving on November 11. Then on November 13th he tested positive. It is assumed that the man infected a 60-year-old in the opposite room of the quarantine hotel, despite strict isolation. It is possible that he was not wearing an adequate face mask when he was receiving food.
Corona variant Omikron: countries stop air traffic
Update from Saturday, November 27th, 2021, 6:36 a.m.: More and more countries are reacting to the new Omikron coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa with strict travel restrictions. After numerous European, North American and Arab countries, Australia followed on Saturday (November 27, 2021), which ceased travel to nine countries in southern Africa. Previously, Brazil had also imposed a ban on flights from six South African countries.
The discovery of the new coronavirus variant with the scientific name B.1.1.529 was announced on Thursday (November 25th, 2021) in South Africa. According to South African scientists, the variant could be even more contagious than the currently rampant Delta variant because of the unusually high number of mutations and make the vaccines less effective.
Omicron variant: WHO classifies B.1.1.529 as “worrying”
+++ 7.15 p.m.: The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the new Corona variant B.1.1.529 as “worrying”. The UN agency announced on Friday after consultations with experts. According to the WHO definition, this classification is a signal that a variant is more contagious or leads to more severe disease courses. In addition, with “worrying variants” there is a risk that conventional vaccinations, medication or corona measures will be less effective.
This variant, now called Omicron, has a large number of mutations, some of which are worrying, it said. Preliminary indications indicated an increased risk of reinfection with this variant compared to other worrying variants, which also include the currently predominant delta variant.
Virologist Drosten: Vaccines probably also protect against new virus variants
+++ 6.00 p.m.: The virologist Christian Drosten assumes that the available vaccines also protect against the new variant B.1.1.529 of the coronavirus, which was first discovered in South Africa, in particular against severe disease. This could be “assumed at the present time,” it said on Friday (November 26th, 2021) in a statement by Drosten for the ZDF. However, the new variant apparently at least partially bypasses the body’s immune response.
The genome changes of the new variant “indicate that this virus could show an immune landscape,” warned Drosten. An indication of this is that the currently detected infections “to a very large extent in those who have previously recovered” would take place.
New Corona variant B.1.1.529: First infection in Europe
+++ 4.00 p.m.: Concern about the far-reaching economic consequences of the new Corona variant caused Europe’s stock exchanges to collapse on Friday. The losers on the trading day were in particular the shares of airlines and tourism companies in the face of new travel restrictions. The developments in the pandemic also weighed on the price of oil. The coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 discovered in South Africa could be even more contagious than the Delta variant, and it is also unclear whether the corona vaccines are sufficiently effective against them. The mutant is therefore fueling great concerns about the global economic recovery. It could lead to new lockdowns and travel restrictions and weigh on economic growth in many countries.
New Corona variant causes stock exchange prices to crash
This was reflected in the financial centers on Friday: the indices in Frankfurt and London collapsed by over three percent after the stock market launch, in Paris it was over four percent. Prices recovered slightly in the course of the morning.
The prices on the Asian stock exchanges also fell sharply. The trading centers in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai closed in the red. In New York, pre-trading was down by two percent. The price of crude oil fell by six to seven percent, depending on the type. Their development depends on economic forecasts. Even Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency, collapsed by almost eight percent.
At the same time, financial market experts like Justin Tang from United First Partners pointed out that the world is now used to such bad headlines. “Mutations are expected, they are not unknown.”
New Corona variant B.1.1.529: Lauterbach warns of “massive breakthrough variant”
+++ 3 p.m.: Karl Lauterbach has again commented on the new super version of the corona virus. On Twitter, he described the mutation B.1.1.529 as a “real massive breakthrough variant”. Lauterbach also announced that a breakthrough with a “booster” vaccination was “unlikely”.
The Corona variant was first detected in Europe on Friday noon (see update from 2.30 p.m.).
+++ 2.45 p.m.: Vaccine manufacturer Biontech has also commented on the new Corona variant. “We can understand the concerns of experts and immediately initiated investigations into variant B.1.1.529,” said the Mainz-based company. Biontech is now testing the effectiveness of the vaccine against the variant. “The variant differs significantly from the variants observed so far, as it has additional mutations in the spike protein,” it said.
In two weeks you can count on meaningful data.
Corona variant B.1.1.529 detected for the first time in Europe
+++ 2.30 p.m.: The Corona variant B.1.1.529 has arrived in Europe. For the first time, the Sars-CoV-2 mutation was detected in a test in a European country: Belgium. The Belgian Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke announced on Friday afternoon.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced travel restrictions for people coming from countries in southern Africa. At the moment, caution, but don’t panic, is required, said De Croo.
Corona variant B.1.1.529 – New travel restrictions initiated
+++ 12.00 p.m.: Malta has now also imposed a travel restriction for six African countries as a precaution. Travel to and from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe are prohibited from midnight on Saturday night, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Friday via Twitter. Likewise the Czech Republic. The country forbids non-EU citizens from entering South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and four other African countries. That will apply from Saturday, announced the Foreign Ministry in Prague on Friday. Strict quarantine measures are planned for Czechs and other EU citizens who have stayed in one of these countries in the past 14 days.
+++ 10.40 a.m.: Italy’s Minister of Health Roberto Speranza has restricted entry from several South African countries due to the coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 by order. His ministry announced on Friday that anyone who has been to South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini in the past 14 days cannot enter Italy.
Austria also prohibits entry from South Africa and some other African countries in this regard. The Ministry of Health announced on Friday. Only Austrians who stayed in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are still allowed to return to their homeland.
First person in Israel infected with Corona variant B.1.1.529
+++ 9.51 a.m.: Germany will declare South Africa to be a virus variant area because of the newly emerging coronavirus variant B.1.1.529. The regulation will come into force tonight, airlines will then only be allowed to transport German citizens to Germany, said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, according to official information, a person has been identified in Israel who has been infected with the new variant of the corona virus. The Ministry of Health announced on Friday that two other people are suspected. You are in quarantine. A spokeswoman for the authority to combat corona confirmed that it is variant B.1.1.529, which comes from southern Africa.
The infected person returned to Israel from Malawi, the ministry said. The other two have also returned from abroad. All three people have been vaccinated.
New Corona variant B.1.1.5.2.9: Germany stops air traffic from South Africa
+++ 8.53 a.m.: In addition to Israel, the federal government is now also restricting air traffic from South Africa because of the Corona variant B.1.1.529. As the RND reports, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is now calling for “the emergency brake to be activated to stop air traffic from the southern African region due to the worrying variant B.1.1.529”.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter that the Brussels authority will propose to the EU states that they trigger the emergency brake provided for this in order to suspend air traffic. The authenticity of the tweet has been confirmed to the German press agency.
Corona variant B.1.1.529 – Karl Lauterbach warns: “Nothing is worse”
Update from Friday, November 26th, 2021, 8.00 a.m.: Health expert Karl Lauterbach warns of the B.1.1529 variant of the corona virus. On Twitter he writes that the new South African variant B1.1.529 is classified as very dangerous by specialists in Great Britain. The mutation would displace the delta variant, and the mechanism is “completely unclear”. There is a WHO meeting on this.
“Hopefully what this graph shows will not be confirmed. If so, travel restrictions must be imposed immediately. We have to buy time. Nothing is worse than a new variant in a running wave, ”continues the SPD politician.
New Corona variant: B.1.1.529 gives “cause for concern” – Israel imposes travel restrictions
+++ 10:00 p.m.: For concern about the B.1.1529 variant of the corona virus, Israel imposed immediate travel restrictions for several African countries on Thursday (25.11.2021). South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini have been classified as “red countries”.
Foreigners are no longer allowed to enter Israel from these countries, the statement said. Israelis who returned from these countries would have to be in quarantine in a Corona hotel for up to 14 days. However, after a week, they could test themselves free with two negative PCR tests.
New Corona variant worries scientists: B.1.1.529 gives “cause for concern”
First report from Thursday, November 25th, 2021, 4:01 p.m.: Johannesburg – It has been quiet lately about mutations of the coronavirus since the delta variant conquered the world in the summer, more or less displaced all other types of the virus and for an exacerbation of the pandemic, especially in Europe. Delta shows an extremely high infectivity and has displaced or eliminated all other mutants. However, due to this circumstance, one cannot assume that Delta is the last supervised variant of the virus.
According to experts, a new variant of the corona virus has now been discovered in South Africa. The variant with the scientific name B.1.1.529 “has a very high number of mutations,” said the virologist Tulio de Oliveira at a press conference on Thursday (25.11.2021). You give “cause for concern” in the country. The effectiveness of the previously known vaccines against this virus variant is still unclear, according to the scientist.
New Corona variant can be detected with a PCR test
De Oliveira reported that B.1.1.529 can now be detected in practically all provinces of South Africa. At least some good news is that because of the special mutations in B.1.1.529, no sequencing is required to identify the variant, but normal PCR tests are sufficient.
So far, the variant has also been discovered in Botswana and Hong Kong among travelers from South Africa. Health Minister Joe Phaahla described the variant as “seriously worrying” and as the cause of an “exponential” increase in reported cases in South Africa. The number of infections reported daily rose to more than 1200 on Wednesday (November 24th, 2021). At the beginning of the month there were only around 100 new infections.
According to scientists, the new variant has at least ten mutations – in comparison with the delta variant there are only two, with beta three. “What worries us is that this variant could not only have increased transferability, i.e. spread more efficiently, but could also be able to bypass parts of the immune system and the protection we have in our immune system”, said the expert Richard Lessell.
New Corona variant B.1.1.529 is spreading quickly
The first cases of variant B.1.1.529 were registered in Botswana on November 11, the earliest case in South Africa followed three days later. The case found in Hong Kong was a 36-year-old man who had a negative PCR test before flying from Hong Kong to South Africa, where he stayed from October 22 to November 11. When he returned to Hong Kong, the test was negative, while he tested positive in quarantine on November 13.
The beta variant of the virus was discovered in South Africa last year. With around 2.95 million corona cases and more than 89,600 deaths, South Africa is the hardest-hit country in Africa.
EU health authority calls for corona vaccination
In view of the increasing number of corona infections, the EU health authority has called on the member states to “urgently” vaccinate more people against the corona virus. There is a “large vaccination pick” that gives the virus “plenty of room to spread,” warned the director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Andrea Ammon, on Wednesday. She recommended booster vaccinations for all adults over the age of 18 – “with priority for people over 40”.
In the EU, 67.7 percent of the population is currently fully vaccinated, but vaccination rates vary widely from country to country. For example, only 24.2 percent of the Bulgarian population is vaccinated at least twice, while the figure in Portugal is 86.7 percent. (skr / ktho / tu with dpa / AFP)
List of rubric lists: © Seth Wenig / dpa
