Omicron caught fast, more data needed says ISS chief

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 1 - The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was caught fast and more data are needed to see how dangerous it may be in eluding vaccines, the president of Italy's Higher Health Institute (ISS), Silvio Brusaferro, said Wednesday.
    Omicron, he said, "has about 30 mutations that were rapidly intercepted and put at the disposal of the scientific community" after it was detected in South Africa.
    "The speed in intercepting it has led to a rapid reaction at a global level.
    "On the other hand, since it was picked up so quickly, the data on its characteristics are still few.
    "We are still collecting data. In Africa it produced mild forms (of infection) but African reality is different from ours".
    Brusaferro added that Italy's Rt transmission number was still above one, a key threshold, and hospital admissions with COVID were on the rise.
    "The number of people infected is growing and is growing progressively. The weekly incidence is rising. The transmissibility index is still above one and this figure is very important because the possibility of bringing infections down depends on an Rt under one.
    "At the same time, with this Rt, admissions are rising in a regular way, both in general wards and in intensive care, albeit for the moment below the alert threshold". (ANSA).