Omicron variant

  • Covid-19 NewsOmicron spreads to 38 countries, 10 US states; Remdesivir recalled
    Neill FrondePublished: 10:45, 05 December 2021
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    Omicron spreads to 38 countries, 10 US states; Remdesivir recalled

    Omicron, the worrisome new variant of Covid-19 first identified in South Africa, has now been found in at least 38 countries and 10 US states, though it still has not been detected in Thailand. The figure increased sharply after being found in only 23 countries in the middle of last week. The spread seems to be accelerating as scientists study…

  • Covid-19 NewsKoh Samui Airport scrutinising international arrivals for Omicron
    Neill FrondePublished: 18:22, 04 December 2021
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    Koh Samui Airport scrutinising international arrivals for Omicron

    After the emergence of the Omicron variant, the first international flight arriving at Samui Airport on Koh Samui faced increased scrutiny. All passengers have been strictly screened as airport employees were instructed to thoroughly check incoming international passengers to curb the possible spread of the new Covid-19 variant. The first international flight to arrive at Koh Samui Airport was from…

  • Covid-19 NewsRed Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality
    Neill FrondePublished: 13:04, 04 December 2021
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    Red Cross leader says Omicron variant result of vaccine inequality

    The head of the Red Cross pointed to the Omicron variant as the ultimate evidence that vaccine inequality around the world is a danger to every country globally. The president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that much more work is needed to balance the inequality in the global approach to vaccination against the…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM reports no Omicron variant in Thailand yet, New Year’s a go
    Neill FrondePublished: 11:30, 04 December 2021
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    PM reports no Omicron variant in Thailand yet, New Year’s a go

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha spoke out to reassure the people of Thailand that no cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the country as of now. The prime minister said that preventative measures were being strictly followed to keep Thailand safe and to allow New Years festivities to take place as planned. The government has been taking proactive steps to…

  • Covid-19 NewsHospital warns not all PCR tests properly detect Omicron variant
    Neill FrondePublished: 17:22, 01 December 2021
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    Hospital warns not all PCR tests properly detect Omicron variant

    Ramathibodi Hospital Centre for Medical Genomics has warned that some PCR test kits may fail in accurately identifying people infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The hospital says that the new variant has a growth advantage and that some polymerase chain reaction tests may not be able to see the variant. The Hospital posted its findings on Facebook recently…

  • Covid-19 NewsModerna leader says vaccine likely less effective against Omicron
    Neill FrondePublished: 09:15, 01 December 2021
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    Moderna leader says vaccine likely less effective against Omicron

    The head of American vaccine maker Moderna said in an interview with Financial Times that their vaccine may not be strongly effective against the new Omicron variant. Stephane Bancel said in an interview published yesterday that it will take months to develop a new version of the vaccine that is tested and confirmed to be effective against the new strain…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM will decide on need for lockdown if and when Omicron found in Thailand
    Maya TaylorPublished: 08:51, 01 December 2021
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    PM will decide on need for lockdown if and when Omicron found in Thailand

    The health ministry says the Thai PM will decide what steps to take if and when the Omicron Covid-19 variant is found in the kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that the relevant agencies have been instructed to continue monitoring the situation and the Public Health Ministry will review the country’s re-opening in 2 weeks’ time. Speaking to the Bangkok Post,…

  • Covid-19 NewsPublic Health Ministry monitoring Omicron variant, public urged not to panic
    Maya TaylorPublished: 10:19, 30 November 2021
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    Public Health Ministry monitoring Omicron variant, public urged not to panic

    Thailand’s Public Health Ministry says the public shouldn’t panic over the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the ministry is monitoring the situation and on alert for possible Omicron cases. Meanwhile, people should continue to observe existing disease prevention measures. “The departments of Medical Sciences and Disease Control have been tasked with monitoring the new variant…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai officials mull over testing methods for arrivals following Omicron emergence
    ThaigerPublished: 16:03, 29 November 2021
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    Thai officials mull over testing methods for arrivals following Omicron emergence

    With the emergence of the Omicron variant, just as Thailand was easing travel regulations, the Thai government is mulling over whether to reverse its plan to replace RT-PCR tests with the less accurate, but faster and cheaper antigen tests, or ATK, for arrivals from overseas. The CCSA held an emergency meeting over the weekend in response to the news of…

  • Covid-19 NewsNew Covid-19 strain named “Omicron” and a variant of concern
    Neill FrondePublished: 09:54, 27 November 2021
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    New Covid-19 strain named “Omicron” and a variant of concern

    Omicron is the new Covid-19 to watch out for, having just received its Greek name and the highest category of classification, “variant of concern”. The B.1.1.529 strain, recently uncovered in southern Africa and already seeing some spread, was given the Omicron name and classified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation yesterday. From least worrisome to most…