Working Group: omicron

COVID-19 infections – and the diagnosis and recording of infections as ‘case numbers’ – will always matter. However with the collapse in testing, test positivity rates soaring, PCR restricted to a small fraction of people and rapid antigen tests (RATs) largely unavailable and unaffordable, case numbers are no longer informative. Trends can only be reliably […]

The latest findings about the real world impact of Omicron, published by the UK Health Security Agency (10 Dec 2021), show that Australia must take immediate steps to tackle this new variant of concern. The data outlines that Omicron appears more transmissible and has significantly impacted the effectiveness of vaccines in the United Kingdom. Critically, […]

 “Reduce the risk of lockdowns during the holiday season.” OzSAGE calls for coordinated action to control the spread of Omicron, including the use of air gapped quarantine facilities and rapid 3rd dose vaccine uptake. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the B.1.1.529 a new variant of concern orginating in southern Africa and have named […]