According to preliminary data, the Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and lowers vaccination effectiveness while causing less severe symptoms, according to the World Health Organization.
The Delta variant, which was initially discovered in India earlier this year, is responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus infections worldwide.
However, the discovery of Omicron in South Africa last month prompted countries across the globe to impose travel bans on southern African countries and reintroduce internal restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.
As of December 9, the WHO stated that Omicron has spread to 63 countries. In South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in the United Kingdom, where Delta is the dominant strain, the faster transmission was seen.
However, it highlighted that due to a lack of data, it couldn’t determine whether Omicron’s high transmission rate was due to lower susceptibility to immune responses, higher transmissibility, or a combination of the two.
In a technical brief, the WHO stated that early evidence suggests Omicron causes “a decrease in vaccination effectiveness against infection and transmission.”
“Given the currently available data, it is likely that Omicron will outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs,” it added.
