Iran Reports First Case of Omicron Coronavirus Variant

Iran registered its first case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Sunday as health authorities convened for an emergency meeting to decide on an approach to address the new global threat.  
The infection was discovered in a resident of Tehran who had recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates, IRNA reported.
Deputy Health Minister Kamal Heydari said in televised remarks, “The positive case was a middle-aged man… Measures were taken to quarantine him and those in close contact with him.”
Two other patients suspected of having contracted the variant have also been isolated until test results come out. 
The Omicron variant, formally known as B.1.1.529, was reported to the World Health Organization by South Africa on November 24. It has since spread to over 89 countries around the world.
The variant has around 50 mutations compared to the original virus which emerged in Wuhan China, with 30 of the mutations in the outer spike protein that can help the variant evade antibodies.

The mutations have made Omicron extremely contagious. The WHO announced on Thursday that the number of Omicron cases are doubling every three days. 
Many European nations have returned to a full lockdown to curb the virus. A member of the national Covid-19 science committee, Payam Tabarsi, said Iran only has 17 days to tackle the mutation. 
“We might be dealing with another wave, driven by Omicron, in two to three weeks,” Tabarsi said. 
Iran has been closely monitoring borders to prevent the arrival of Omicron for the past three weeks but experts had suggested that it was only a matter of time before the variant would spread inside the country.

Call for School Closures

Majid Mokhtari, a member of the national Covid-19 science committee, said the variant is spreading among younger people and it is necessary to close down schools for a few weeks.
“If Omicron changes its behavior, it can also cause problems among the elderly,” Mokhtari said.
The official hoped that the mutation would be less deadly than the Delta variant, but said that “false hope” could not be the grounds for policymaking in regards to Omicron. 
During Sunday’s emergency meeting attended by Health Minister Bahram Einollahi, members put forward recommendations that are to be conveyed to the National Coronavirus Headquarters. 
Hamidreza Jamaati, secretary of the Covid science committee, called for a return of restrictive measures as soon as possible.
“Our recommendation is to reinstate restrictions for a duration of at least four weeks,” he pointed out. “Due to its high transmission rates, it’s possible we’ll witness a peak over the next weeks.”
According to the official, any venue that holds gatherings involving ten people or more should close down, including schools, universities, gyms, restaurants and concert halls.
Jamaati emphasized the need for ramping up vaccinations as the only weapon against Omicron. 
Over 60% of Iran’s population of 85 million have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and some 3.7 million of those most vulnerable to the disease have been given booster shots.
Iran has logged a total of 6.17 million cases and over 131,000 mortalities since the start of the pandemic.