A new Sars-Cov-2 virus variant, known as B.1.1.529 and named Omicron by the @WHO, has recently received wide media coverage due to worries that it could be more transmissible than Delta and render COVID-19 vaccines ineffective.
Responding to the news, Professor Dr. Noran Naqiah Hairi from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya said, “We need more information, especially on how fast Omicron spreads, and whether those infected would suffer a more severe form of COVID-19.
Her response echoes that stated earlier by Professor Neil Ferguson, Director of Imperial College’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis. Read the full report here:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232217/qa-imperial-experts-discuss-variant-b11529/
Prof. Noran also stressed the importance for all parties to continue observing strict adherence to the SOPs, even after vaccination, since these “remain as our critical tools in protecting us against severe COVID-19 disease and death.”
She may be contacted at noran@um.edu.my for further details and comments.