How Uganda plans to prevent importation of Omicron Covid variant
Journalists pictured listening to Health Minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on December 2, 2021. PHOTO/ MEDIA CENTRE
What you need to know:
- Since its initial identification, the variant has spread significantly to reach all provinces of South Africa. It has also been identified in countries neighboring South Africa namely; Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia as well as among travelers to distant countries including, Netherlands, Thailand, Israel, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium and Germany, among others with the list of countries continually growing.
As several countries across the world continue to report detection of Omicron Covid variant, government said Thursday that the strain which is believed to be more contagious than previous ones has not been detected in Uganda.
Since its initial identification, the variant has spread significantly to reach all provinces of South Africa. It has also been identified in countries neighboring South Africa namely; Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia as well as among travelers to distant countries including, Netherlands, Thailand, Israel, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Italy, Belgium and Germany, among others with the list of countries continually growing.
“Not much is known about the variant, since it is new, but, this variant is reported to have 32 mutations (genetic changes). In the spike protein gene (the coat of the virus), more than those that have been identified in several other variants of concern including the Delta and Alpha variants. While the Omicron variant has been reported in several countries across the world, it is important to note that this variant has not been detected in Uganda,” Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng told journalists in Kampala on Thursday.
Government intervention against the strain
Government interventions to curb the importation of the variant include intensified surveillance at points of entry; with particular emphasis at the high-volume entry points notably Entebbe International Airport and high-volume land border points and mandatory testing of all incoming travelers which was instituted in October this year, according to the minister.
“To-date, 48,259 samples have been tested with 228 positive cases recorded. On average, six (6) positive cases are recorded daily. Testing of incoming travelers at other land Points of Entry will be conducted by the private laboratories at Government set rates, as Ministry of Health continues to build capacity for testing as directed by Cabinet,” she added.
According to the minister, persons who test positive shall be tracked and put under home-based care or health facility-based isolation depending on the severity of disease
“Symptomatic cases requiring admission shall be managed at designated COVID-19 treatment units. All positive samples from travellers shall undergo genomic sequencing to enable detection of the Omicron and other variants,” she added.
Uganda’s confirmed cases
To-date, Uganda has registered 127,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,252 deaths. The current admissions stand at 115 in both public and private facilities, according to government figures.
Officials at the ministry of Health say Uganda has sustained low transmission of COVID-19 with a positivity rate of less than 5 percent since September 2021.
Latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Germany to lock down unjabbed
Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz are set to approve a "lockdown for the unvaccinated", banning them from entering bars, restaurants, theatres and cinemas.
Previous infection 'won't stop strain'
People who caught earlier variants do not appear to be protected against Omicron, although vaccination will still prevent serious illness, a top South African scientist researching the new variant says.
'Toxic mix' warns WHO
The World Health Organization warns of a "toxic mix of low vaccine coverage and very low testing -- a recipe for breeding and amplifying variants" as the European Union raises the prospect of mandatory jabs.
New drug 'works on Omicron'
British regulators approve a GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat those at high risk of severe Covid, with the maker saying it appears to be effective against the Omicron variant.
'Worrying' S.Africa spike
The new strain is driving a "worrying" sharp rise in virus cases in South Africa, with an "exponential increase" over the past two weeks, health official say.
'Better quality doses'
Rich countries must give "better quality" vaccine doses to the Covax scheme for poorer countries rather than ones about to expire, its chief says.
Many blame a lack of vaccines in Africa for allowing the Omicron variant to develop.
Tougher US travel rules
President Joe Biden is to announce tougher rules for virus testing for travellers to the United States after the first cases of variant are discovered there.
Omicron in India
India also identifies two Omicron cases in southern Karnataka state.
UK orders 114 million doses
Britain orders 114 million more vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, to bolster its jabs drive.
Pilots quit over HK rules
Pilots are quitting Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific angry over its strict quarantine regime as the territory ties itself to China's zero-virus strategy.
More than 5.2 million dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,223,072 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Thursday.
The US has suffered the most Covid-related deaths with 782,100, followed by Brazil with 614,964, India with 469,724, Mexico with 294,428 and Russia with 277,640.
The countries with the most new deaths are US with 2,015, followed by Russia with 1,221 and Ukraine with 525.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.
Additional reporting by AFP
