Omicron remains only Covid variant of concern, says Phaahla
Health Minister Joe Phaahla insists there is no
need to panic over the new Covid-19 subvariant.
"The Omicron remains the dominant variant of concern throughout the world between 97 and 98 percent. Omicron has more than 100 sub variants or sublineages since it dominated the Covid-19 environment late in 2021,” the minister said on Tuesday.
Phaahla provided an update on the Covid-19 situation in South Africa.
It comes after the first case of the highly transmissible XBB1.5 coronavirus subvariant, nicknamed Kraken, was detected in the country.
The gene sequencing institute picked up the subvariant at Stellenbosch University.
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It has been detected in at least 28 other countries.
Phaahla said Omicron remains the only variant of concern.
