EU agency: Omicron variant could overtake delta, cause majority of cases within a few months

European authorities on Thursday said preliminary data from South Africa and mathematical modeling suggest the omicron variant might outcompete the delta strain and will account for more than half of coronavirus infections in the European Union within the next few months.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it has found 70 confirmed cases of omicron in 13 countries with the EU and European Economic Area.

The agency found a mix of good and bad news — the strain first detected in southern African countries appears to be fast-moving but not causing severe disease.

“The majority of confirmed cases have a history of travel to southern African countries, with some having taken connecting flights at other destinations between Africa and Europe. Several European countries have already reported subsequent community or household transmission,” it said. “All cases for which there is available information on severity were either asymptomatic or mild. To date, there have been no severe cases and no deaths reported among these cases.”

All told, there have been 352 confirmed cases of omicron reported by 27 countries.

The first case in the U.S. was reported out of California on Wednesday in a vaccinated, though not boosted, person who returned from South Africa in late November.

President Biden will outline a series of steps Thursday designed to thwart a winter spike of the virus, including more stringent rules on air travel into the U.S. and a rule forcing insurers to reimburse Americans for the cost of at-home tests.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.