People wearing face masks to curb the spread of COVID-19 walk in downtown Lisbon, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. Portuguese health authorities on Monday identified 13 cases of omicron, the new coronavirus variant spreading fast globally, among members of the Lisbon-based Belenenses SAD soccer club, and were investigating possible local transmission of the virus outside of southern Africa. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:36 AM PT – Monday, November 29, 2021
Health experts are warning against jumping to conclusions amid the media frenzy over the Omicron variant. South African Dr. Angelique Coetzee, who discovered the new variant, said all Omicron patients have shown very mild symptoms and none of them required hospitalization.
“It’s extremely mild for us, it’s mild cases,” she explained. “We haven’t admitted anyone. I spoke with other colleagues of mine, the same picture.”
The day the World Health Organization identified the Omicron variant, I took immediate steps to restrict travel from the countries in Southern Africa.
But while we know that travel restrictions can slow the spread — they cannot prevent it.
We will have to face this new threat.
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 29, 2021
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci claimed on Sunday that the new variant can “evade the immune system.” His remarks came as a number of countries decided to begin closing their borders.
“With the international borders closing up for South Africa, we are again going into a very, very bad economical downward spiral,” Dr. Coetzee stated. “There’s no sense in any case to close borders, that’s not going help us at this current stage anymore.”
Dr. Fauci says it’s “really too early to say” whether to expect new lockdowns or mandates for omicron variant.
The irrational belief that lockdowns and mandates are effective is the real global pathogen that must be stopped.
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) November 28, 2021
The physician stressed most of the new cases are mild in both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Additionally, she said the disease is easily being treated at this point.
Trump-era FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb asserted that vaccines and boosters should work against the variant. In a recent interview, he said there’s no evidence of the new variant making individuals more sick than previous strains.
MORE NEWS: Pregnant Afghan Doctor Pleads With Biden For Life As State Fumbles Rescue
Be the first to comment