THREE OMICRON CASES CONFIRMED; ONE HAD NO RECENT TRAVEL HISTORY

THREE OMICRON CASES CONFIRMED; ONE HAD NO RECENT TRAVEL HISTORY 

Antigua and Barbuda has recorded three cases of the Omicron variant.

The update was provided by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rhonda Sealey Thomas during an exclusive interview with ABS News Thursday evening.

The highly-infectious variant was identified among 25 samples sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing in December, 2021.

One of the individuals infected with the Omicron variant has no recent travel history.

Omicron is the fifth variant of concern, following Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.

Omicron, which was first identified by South African scientists, is identified by multiple mutations, especially on the spike protein.

It is over five times more transmissible than the Delta variant, and while it is believed to cause less severe disease, health officials around the world fear that the sheer volume of infections could eventually lead to an increase in the number of people ending up in the hospital.