THE Omicron variant, which has grabbed global headlines over the past few days, has yet to be detected in Malaysia.

Said to have up to 50 mutations, the coronavirus variant has stoked fear worldwide that it may be more transmissible than the Delta variant.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the variant could pose a very high risk.

Putrajaya yesterday postponed the country’s transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19 due to the Omicron variant.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that for the time being, Putrajaya has decided to temporarily pause efforts to move into the “endemic transition” phase until more is found out about Omicron.

The variant is thought to be “probably more transmissible” than the Delta variant, according to the World Health Organisation.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said the variant poses a “very high” risk globally but has also said that more time is needed to understand the variant, its level of virulence and severity of infection.

He urged the public to practise precautionary measures.

“We know Omicron is probably more transmissible than Delta but we don’t yet know its virulence.

“What we can do in the meantime is step up public health intervention (masks, distancing and hygiene), improve indoor air flow, keep our elderly safe and take a booster jab when offered,” he tweeted.

According to the WHO, the B.1.1.529 variant was first reported from South Africa on November 24. The variant has been classified as a variant of concern (VOC).

“The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterised by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant.

“In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant,” WHO said in a statement on November 26.

“The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9.

“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are of concern. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant as compared with other VOCs,” it added.

The WHO added that the number of cases from this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.

In a statement on November 28,  the WHO said epidemiological studies on the variant are currently underway.

It said it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants, including Delta or whether the infection causes severe outcomes.

“Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (that is, people who have previously had Covid-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared with other variants of concern but information is limited,” it said.

Scientists and vaccine makers are also racing to determine whether current vaccines are effective against the variant.

BioNTech SE, which is the partner of Pfizer Inc, said it has started work on jabs for the variant.

The vaccine developers can roll out an updated version of its vaccine tailored for Omicron in 100 days, if the variant remains resistant to the current make.

Pfizer’s chief Albert Bourla said existing shots can “protect less”, and that will mean that a new vaccine will have to be created.

Sinovac is also closely monitoring studies and collecting samples to determine whether a new vaccine is required.

Meanwhile, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told Financial Times that the high amount of mutations on Omicron and its swift spread in South Africa signal that the present jabs will have to be tweaked.

“There is no world, I think, where (the effectiveness) is at the same level… we had with Delta,” he was quoted as saying.

Countries including Malaysia have scrambled to beef up travel curbs to contain the spread of the variant.

The variant has been detected in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Malaysia has barred entry for travellers from seven African nations namely South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Malaysian citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will be allowed to return and enter Malaysia.

However, they will be required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine regardless of their vaccination status. – December 1, 2021.