By Bond Robertson 
Two Christmas dinners, one conference and an unknown penguin student to dispatch. Outbreaks of confirmed or suspected omicron infection are known so far – and the FHI expects that many more will be detected in the coming days.
The Omikron outbreaks in Norway were among the first major outbreaks to be mapped outside of South Africa. The first known spread, at Louise Restaurant in Oslo, gained international attention.
The National Institute of Public Health (FHI) says it will not likely update the number of confirmed cases before Monday, but it is clear that there will be “many reports of suspected cases that municipalities are dealing with in cooperation with the outbreak cluster at FHI”.
We assist a number of municipalities with assessments and support for the management of oomicron infections, and the laboratory works extensively with, among other things, screening and genome sequencing for omicron detection, says Division Director Line Vold at FHI to VG.
She says they are also working on updating the risk assessment, and with different scenarios for further development and related measures.
– It is especially important to follow developments closely and update existing knowledge now, as well as to continuously assess the level of measures, says Fuld.
Oslo school suspect Omicron
Since the disease first broke out in Norway at the Christmas table in Aker Brygge, several new outbreaks have become known. No later than Sunday evening, it became known that the municipality of Oslo suspected a Steinerskolen student at Bydel Vestre Aker Omicron.
– What you have always feared with Omicron, is rapid spread, chief district physician Yoron Thulu tells VG.
She says they are now waiting for an overview because they will receive more test results in the coming days.
A large number of people will be required to test themselves with a PCR test and remain in quarantine until a negative test result is available. According to Thaulow, there are about a hundred students in total.
The challenge in this case is that there is an unknown transmission route. We don’t know where the infection came from. This makes it very demanding, says the district supervisor.
– Can take over quickly
Several other places in the world have seen Omicron quickly take over as the dominant alternative. Denmark recorded 18 cases on Friday – while on Sunday Discover up to 183 new cases.
In South Africa, where the variant was first discovered omikron has already been seized in many provinces, and the infection has exploded. On Friday, the country recorded more than 16,000 cases. Twelve days ago, they had no more than 312 cases in one day.
Now Line Vold says omikron could quickly become the dominant alternative in Norway as well. The National Institute of Public Health therefore expects that many more people with omicron infection will be detected in the coming days.
The experience from the time alpha and delta arrived in the country is that new, more infectious variants can quickly take over as the dominant variant, so we must be prepared for a rapid increase in omicron incidence in the future.
Although the omicron variant appears to be more contagious, and the infection increases as it becomes prevalent, the number of hospital admissions remains the most important in pandemic management.
VG explains: What does the omicron variable mean for corona evolution in Norway?
None of those infected spread to the Omicron outbreak in Norway They are now seriously ill. The US infection control chief, Anthony Fauci, was also present on Sunday cautiously optimistic About the new variable:
– It’s too early to give any final statements, but so far the variable doesn’t seem to be very serious. The results are somewhat encouraging so far, Fauci said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.
These are the outbreaks:
Since the first outbreak was detected, at least three other confirmed or suspected omicron outbreaks have been reported. We know this so far:
- November 26: Christmas table at Louise Restaurant in Oslo: more than 120 people Corona infection has been confirmed in relation to Burst at Louise’s Restaurant At Aker Brygge in Oslo. More than 70 of the injured belong to the Christmas table of the solar company Scatec. The others were guests at the nightclub on the same evening, November 26. All cases known to date were fully vaccinated with two doses.
- November 27: Christmas table at Maarud in Sør-Odal: the least 42 people He was diagnosed with the infection after Christmas dinner at Maarud in the municipality of Sur-Odal. Among the injured are company employees, hosts and entertainers. The mayor believes there is reason to believe this is an omikron variant, but the municipality has not received a response to the tests sent for sequencing.
- November 29-30: Conference in Lessebo, Oslo: Seven people The infection was confirmed, and about a hundred cases were placed in quarantine after a human resources conference hosted by Abelia. Results from the examination mark three cases as “likely omicron”. All infected in the outbreak are fully vaccinated with two doses. Those infected come from six different municipalities in five provinces.
- December 4th: Pfister Akker, Oslo: suspected Pupil At Steinerskolen at Bydel Vestre Aker in Oslo he has an omicron. Preliminary test results show a “potential omicron”. The suspected presence of Omicron was revealed on December 4, but it is not yet known where the student was infected.