Australia: Queensland reports a new version of Omicron variant; origin unknown

The Australian health authorities on Wednesday confirmed that a new variant of the Omicron COVID-19 strain has been detected in Australia's Queensland. The new Omicron lineage was found in a traveller who arrived from South Africa, and experts claim that the detected strain is genetically similar to the super-mutant variant, which is rapidly sweeping the world. The new variant has one major difference: it has some genetics missing, which makes it difficult for experts to track its spread.

"One gentleman the other day has been identified as having Omicron-like... That is the new lineage and name that will be given to this variant that has been identified and confirmed by the international committee," Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said, reported news agency ANI.

However, there is no information available about the Omicron-like variant, and its origin remains a mystery. 

Omicron: Australia's Queensland reports new version of Omicron variant

This came after the World Health Organization expressed concern on Wednesday over the Omicron variant that has now been reported in 57 countries. WHO said that the number of patients needing hospital care is likely to increase in the coming days due to the spreading Omicron virus. 

According to WHO's weekly epidemiological report, "Even if the severity is equal or potentially even lower than for the Delta variant, it is expected that hospitalizations will increase if more people become infected and that there will be a time lag between an increase in the incidence of cases and an increase in the incidence of deaths."

Meanwhile, Acting Chief Health Officer, Peter Aitken, said that there is not enough data available about the Omicron variant's clinical severity and vaccine effectiveness, but warned that the newly detected Omicron variant is highly transmissible, which can affect a large number of people in a very short period.

"We now have Omicron and Omicron like, it's a reminder to us all that we open our borders this doesn't mean that the COVID journey has finished, in many ways the COVID journey is just starting," she said.

According to official data, over 79% of the population living in Queensland have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 87% have taken the first dose. 

Image: Twitter/@YvetteDath/Pixabay

With Inputs from ANI