Today Professor Calum Semple urged calm and insisted that vaccines were’still likely’ to protect against severe diseases.
Sage advises that the new Covid version is not a catastrophe and that some may have overstated the situation.
The World Health Organisation declared the so-called “Omicron” mutation as a “variant of concern”. This came after countries such as Britain and the USA closed their borders to six southern African countries, which is the suspected area of origin.
This week’s unexpected appearance of the variant caused panic within Whitehall, as scientists at Downing Street warned that it might be resistant to vaccines and Sajid Javid, Health Secretary threatened to reinstate lockdown if needed.
After the confirmation of the first South African case in Europe, the EU suspended all travel to the region. Britain had already put six nations on the travel ‘red list’ – and was poised to add two more last night.
Today, Professor Calum Semple, a microbiologist, urged calm and said that vaccines can still protect against severe diseases.
BBC Breakfast’s Sage advisor stated that he was in favor of new travel restrictions to South Africa and Namibia.
You are still protected from serious disease if you have a vaccine.
The vaccine will not prevent you from getting a cold, headache or snuffle. However, your chances of dying in hospital or intensive medical care is greatly reduced.
Prof Semple explained that although it might not be possible to prevent the variant from reaching the UK, it’s important to postpone its arrival.
He continued, “If you slow down the virus’s spread in your country it will give you more time to run your booster campaign.” “It gives scientists more time to study the virus, in case it is something we should worry about.
When Prof Semple was asked what additional measures he considered to be advisable, he said that he supported compulsory facemasks on public transport and in shops, as well as hand washing.
The director of Oxford Vaccine Group Sir Andrew Pollard was also adamant that vaccines might be effective in preventing severe disease caused by the Omicron variant. Radio 4’s Today program interviewed him to say that although scientists still have weeks before they fully comprehend the Omicron variant’s effects, most were comparable to others.
Omicron cases have been found in South Africa and Botswana as well as Israel, Israel, Hong Kong, Israel, and Belgium. While it’s not known when the variant reached the Netherlands yesterday, Dutch authorities sequence passengers’ tests.
South Africa reported 2,828 Covid cases on Tuesday, which is more than twice the number of 1,374 that were recorded last Thursday. But infection levels are still high and the country has not seen any hospitalizations for the new Covid variant. Graph shows: The seven-day average for cases in the country
While experts predicted that Britain might be subject to restrictions again this Christmas, Prime Minister David Cameron hopes travel bans can prevent the country from being locked down.
He stated that, “That means, that even though those mutations exist in other variants of the virus, vaccines have continued prevent serious diseases as we move through Alpha, Beta and Gamma,” he said to the program.
“At the very least, from a speculation point of view we believe that vaccines should continue to work against new strains for severe diseases. However, it is best to hold off until we get confirmation. The possibility of another pandemic in the vaccinated is extremely unlikely.
M. Javid said this week to the Commons MPs that the government ‘wouldn’t hesitate’ to take action if additional restrictions were necessary.
“One lesson from the pandemic is that we need to act quickly and in the most urgent circumstances,” the Health Secretary explained. “We are now entering winter. Our booster program remains active, so it is important to be careful.
When asked if the government could execute its Plan B winter plan, Javid replied that the existing rules “remain the policies I believe we need at the moment”.
Europe’s first case of the variant was spotted in Belgium yesterday – despite the unvaccinated woman who caught it having travelled to Turkey and Egypt, not southern Africa where the strain emerged.
Germany has confirmed the first known case. The initial sequencing suggested that an Omicron-positive traveler had been infected from South Africa. Officials await full sequencing.
South Africa reported 2,828 Covid-related cases on Tuesday, which is more than the 1,374 that were recorded on Thursday. But infection levels are still high in South Africa and the number of hospitalisations due to the new variant has not increased.
Joe Biden, the US’s vice president of international affairs, stated that the global pandemic would not stop until there are universal vaccines. And Australian authorities – who also banned travel to nine countries in the region – fear the variant may have already entered the country.
Experts warn that Britain might be subject to restrictions again this Christmas. However, Prime Minister David Cameron hopes that travel bans can prevent such a lockdown.
England’s Chief Medicine Officer Professor Chris Whitty expressed concern that Britons would not agree to lockdown rules for fighting the disease over the winter, citing a lack of acceptance from the British government. He said this was because they are prone to “behavioural fatigue” resulting in two years’ worth of restrictions.
However, no confirmed cases of this strain have been identified in Britain. Dr Susan Hopkins is the chief medical adviser at the UK Health and Security Agency and warned that the strain could be already present.
The variant news saw the FTSE 100 experience its sharpest fall since January. It closed down at 3.3%, alarming travel agencies that depend on winter bookings.
According to a senior source in aviation, there are’seriousjitters’ across the entire industry. He added: “There’s a huge question mark about Christmas. The red list is set to grow and it will be a huge knock-on.
Sources within the Government claim that ministers want to limit travel in order to prevent restrictions at home. This is even though it could mean serious damage to the industry.
The original name of the strain was the “Botswana” variant. However, it was officially designated as a variant of concern’ last night by WHO. Because it contains around 30 mutations and some that are linked to increased transmission risk, its discovery this week is so important. It is the worst variant, according to one expert.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, around 862,300 people were infected with the virus during the week ending November 20. This is 4.5 percent more than the 824,000.00 that was reported the previous week.
According to ZOE’s symptom-tracking study, symptoms of Covid rose nearly five percent last week. More than 76,000 Britons fell ill every day.
After the confirmation of the first South African case in Europe, the EU immediately suspended all travel to the region. Britain had already put six nations on the travel ‘red list’ – and was poised to add two more last night. An adviser to the government suggested that people should be prepared for the possibility of Covid restrictions being reintroduced. Mail received this statement from a government official: “People shouldn’t panic.”
After Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of Britain warned that vaccines not being shared would ‘come back to haunt’ rich countries, the move was made.
Brown also attacked the European Union’s ‘neocolonialism” over its decision to purchase South African jabs.
Former Labour leader, Omicron, claimed that the West could have prevented the spread of super-mutant strains like Omicron. It was first identified in South Africa on November 24th.
The West was forewarned about the failure to distribute vaccine doses, but still three percent had been administered to low income people in comparison to 60 percent in wealthy countries.
Brown said that Covid spreads uninhibited in unvaccinated individuals and is now evolving, with new varieties emerging from poor countries.
Experts have warned that low levels of vaccination could lead to the virus mutating and asked for the West’s cooperation in sending jabs to countries around the globe.
Chris Whitty is concerned that Britons won’t accept lockdown rules in order to combat Omicron supervariant during winter because of ‘behavioural fatigue’, which has been caused by two years’ worth of restrictions
Professor Chris Whitty stated that he is concerned about the possibility of Britons refusing to accept Omicron supervariant lockdown rules over winter due to ‘behavioural fatigue’, which has been caused by two years’ of restrictions.
England’s chief medical officer told a panel discussion hosted by the Local Government Association that he worried whether the Government could still ‘take people with us’.
It is the latest announcement by Belgium, the EU’s first country to have reported a case. This variant Omicron was also identified elsewhere in the EU, including South Africa and Hong Kong.
It is though the strain, which has more than 50 mutations – the most ever recorded in a variant and twice as many as Delta – could be more jab-resistant and transmissible that any version before it.
“My biggest worry right now is that people… If we have to do more muscle at any point, either for this new version or later, are we able to take people along?Professor Whitty stated that.
Professor Chris Whitty stated that he is concerned about the possibility of Britons refusing to accept Omicron supervariant lockdown rules over winter due to behavioural fatigue, which has been caused by two years’ worth of restrictions.
He said that many of the economic and social changes the public had to undergo have been “very detrimental” to the society.
The chief medical officer, however, expressed optimism despite his concerns, saying that he believes the Government can maintain support from the public for coronavirus-related measures.
He said, “I believe the most remarkable thing about the UK has been its ability to accept the fact that we all have to collectively do things to help one another, even things that can be very harmful to the economic and social situation of individuals and families.”
We want to be as efficient and effective as possible, so we will not have to make any more. However, it is important to retain public support.
“And, I believe my overall view that we’ll.
“Provided that you’re clear with people about the logic, and that they feel we’re being completely straight with them regarding all data…but that’s always my concern.”
Professor Whitty said that it was difficult to predict the public’s reaction to the pandemic as the time goes by.
“It is easier to feel confident about people’s responses right away than after they have put up with 2 years of their lives being interrupted…
‘You can only do a public health intervention on the scale we’ve had to do if the majority of the population — and as it turned out, the great majority of the population — support it,’ Whitty said.
“It has become clear that people are taking this seriously, and they want protections to be in place.
Recent polling by YouGov shows that public support is strong for restrictions on Christmas, including mandatory face masks, and the ability to work from home in order to stop Covid-19 spreading.
According to him, the most recent YouGov polling revealed public support for restrictions on Christmas, including mandatory face masks, and the ability to work from home in order stop the spread of Covid-19.
However, polls showed that there is little support for an indoor ban and the closing of pubs and restaurants.
Professor Whitty stated that it was evident that the UK wasn’t ‘out in the woods,’ but added that ‘the most important things…that is going the right direction…are probably the most important.
Three reasons were given for optimism by him: that vaccine was ‘taking off’ school-related outbreaks, that boosters were making a material impact on reducing hospitalisations and that the European Delta Surge had yet not reached the UK.
The news comes just as Britain’s Covid daily cases exceeds 50,000 for the first-time in a month, and deaths rise by 2% in a week. But hospital admissions fell 12 percent.