Geneva: While PCR testing can identify Omicron infection, research is being conducted to see if the variant of concern has any effect on other test types, according to the WHO. Omicron, which was originally discovered earlier this month in South Africa, was named a variety of concern by the WHO on Friday. The categorization placed Omicron, along with the internationally dominating Delta and its lesser rivals Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, in the most concerning group of Covid-19 variations.
On Sunday, Omicron spread throughout the globe, closing borders and reinstating restrictions as the EU president warned that nations were in a “race against time” to grasp the pressure. Fears that the variation is extremely contagious have put doubt on global attempts to combat the outbreak, leading governments to reintroduce measures that many had thought were no longer necessary. While preliminary research shows that patients who have previously been infected with Covid are more likely to become infected with Omicron, information is still scarce. The WHO said it was attempting to figure out how the variation would affect existing countermeasures, such as vaccinations.
In terms of treatments, the organisation stated that corticosteroids and IL6 receptor blockers would continue to be useful for people with severe Covid-19, while other medicines would be studied to determine if they were still effective against Omicron. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that research into different features of the new variation would take many weeks to complete.