"Omicron"

The ongoing wave of Omicron infections in North Korea could cause tens of thousands of deaths in the unvaccinated country, according to Dr Oh Myoung-don, who heads the National Medical Centre’s committee for clinical management of emerging infectious diseases.

Thailand has been advised to consider quarantining travellers from South Africa and Portugal after recent reports show that the more infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants are fast spreading there.

North Korea on Thursday announced its first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 and declared the implementation of the "maximum emergency" virus control system, putting an end to its longstanding coronavirus-free claim.

China began clinical trials for a vaccine designed specifically against the Omicron variant in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sunday, making it the first vaccine of its kind to enter human trials in the world against the highly transmissible COVID-19 strain.

Booster shots provide 1.7 times less immunity against the Omicron BA.2 subvariant compared to the BA.1 subvariant, top virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said on Friday.

The number of Covid-19 deaths spiked in Thailand this week after the Songkran holiday, a Chulalongkorn University lecturer said on Saturday.

The new strain, called BA.2.12.1, makes up about a fifth of new COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to data released Tuesday by the CDC.

Almost every person in Thailand will at some point contract the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and should learn how to live with the risk, a lung specialist said.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand is now on a downward trajectory, according to Chulalongkorn University science lecturer Jessada Denduangboripant.

Most Thais are worried about the new Covid-19 strain, an opinion poll conducted by the Department of Health revealed on Tuesday.

Fully vaccinated people can contract Omicron twice in one month, a lung specialist warned on Monday.

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is very contagious and can be picked up from any of 10 contact points, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) warned.