a less dangerous but more contagious variant that worries French scientists

Ten cases of the Omicron variant are, as of Thursday, December 2, confirmed in France. Two stayed in South Africa, while the first person diagnosed returned from Nigeria. It is about a man of about fifty years. He did not show any symptoms on the test, and was not vaccinated. On November 25, he tested positive for Covid-19 when he got off the plane. His sample was analyzed in a specialized laboratory near Paris. The screening, which targets only parts of the virus, gives the first clues. To identify the variant with certainty, it is necessary to perform sequencing, in order to know the entire genome.

For scientists, there is no doubt: more cases will be confirmed in the coming days. The parade now is to take the variable speed. Some people wait until they are sick, or even wait several days afterwards, to be tested. “We lose a lot of time, and during this period, people contaminate their environment “, explains Professor Vincent Maréchal, professor of virology and researcher at La Sorbonne and at the Saint-Antoine Research Center. He therefore recommends “get tested and isolate yourself“in case of precursor signs. The World Health Organization considers the probability that the Omicron variant spreads globally to be high. It also considers that the variant is less dangerous but much more contagious. Jean Castex announced that a new Council health defense would take place Monday, December 6 to consider new restrictive measures.