@City Spotlight
Omicron, a novel coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, is spreading over the world. Countries have begun to close borders and reintroduce tough internal procedures to contain them.
However, there is a lot of doubt about Omicron’s transmissibility and whether vaccinations will be successful against it
. Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla will answer your questions about the new variant’s hazard.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association says, “Currently, there is no reason for panicking,
as we don’t see severely ill patients”
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, also said in a recorded message that there wasn’t any indication that the Omicron variant was more deadly than other strains: “Of the over 300 cases that have now been diagnosed in many countries, they have all been very mild or in fact had no symptoms at all.”
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC this week that he has a “very high level of confidence” that Pfizer’s antiviral pill “will not be affected by this [Omicron] virus,” while Merck noted
that its molnupiravir antiviral pill should perform similarly against Omicron as against other existing variants.
The government has assured the public that they are taking the virus seriously, meantime it is important to maintain social distancing, wear a mask, and clean surfaces that may have been contaminated with bodily fluids.
These steps should help prevent the spread of this deadly disease across the country.
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