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The omicron variant of Covid-19 is 4.2 times more transmissible in its early stage than delta, according to a study by a Japanese scientist who advises the country's health ministry, a finding likely to confirm fears about the new strain's contagiousness.What one should keep in mind when reading reports of how transmissible this variant is, is that they're basically talking about a cold. Has the transmissibility of a cold ever been front page news before? Researchers racing to try and find out more about a cold? Countries putting severe restrictions on travel due to a cold? Has Christmas ever been cancelled because people might catch a cold?
Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor of health and environmental sciences at Kyoto University who specializes in mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, analyzed genome data available through November 26 in South Africans in Gauteng province.
"The omicron variant transmits more, and escapes immunity built naturally and through vaccines more," Nishiura said in his findings, which were presented at a meeting of the health ministry's advisory panel on Wednesday.
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