Omicron
First case of Omicron variant confirmed in Italy
Rome/UNI/Xinhua: The Omicron variant of Coronavirus has been identified in a citizen from Italy's southern Campania region, who returned to Milan from Mozambique "some days ago," media reported.
The patient, an employee at an international company, "had been vaccinated with two doses," Italian news agency ANSA reported on Sunday.
A "citizen returning from southern Africa has tested positive, as did his family of five people ... All his contacts have been immediately placed in isolation as a precautionary measure," the Campania region said in a statement.
"The genome was sequenced at ... Sacco Hospital in Milan from a positive sample taken from an individual coming from Mozambique. The patient and his family contacts are in good health," said the National Institute of Health on Saturday.
The World Health Organisation declared on Friday the latest variant B.1.1.529 of SARS-CoV-2 to be "of concern," its most serious level, and officially gave it the Greek name Omicron. The WHO has asked countries to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to fight the new variant.
On Friday, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza signed a travel ban on people, who have visited South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Malawi in the past 14 days.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
