Omicron rattles world, countries brace for worst

New variant could be responsible for more than half of  all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months

Washington: The United States, Germany and Russia joined countries planning stricter COVID-19 restrictions on Thursday as the Omicron coronavirus variant rattled markets, with investors concerned about the impact on the global economic recovery. Much remains unknown about Omicron, which was first detected in southern Africa last month and has spread to at least two dozen countries, just as parts of Europe are grappling with a surge in infections of the betterknown Delta variant.

But South Africa said on Thursday it was seeing an increase in COVID-19 reinfections in patients contracting Omicron in a way that it did not experience with previous variants. South African scientists studying the Omicron outbreak believed symptoms were less severe for those re-infected by the new variant.

The European Union’s public health agency, the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), said Omicron could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months. With the Delta variant of COVID-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the Omicron variant, governments around the world are weighing new measures for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines. It’s a thorny calculus made more difficult by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.

In Greece, residents over 60 face fines of 100 euros ($113) a month if they fail to get vaccinated. About 17% of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots. -(Agencies)