Epidemiological update: Omicron variant of concern (VOC) – data as of 12 December 2021 (12:00)
As of 12 December and since 11 December 2021, 34 additional SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VOC) cases have been confirmed in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), contributing to an overall total of 766 confirmed cases so far.
Confirmed cases have been reported by 23 countries: Austria (17), Belgium (30), Croatia (3), Cyprus (3), Czechia (5), Denmark (195), Estonia (15), Finland (20), France (59), Germany (82), Greece (3), Iceland (20), Ireland (6), Italy (13), Latvia (5), Liechtenstein (1), the Netherlands (62), Norway (109), Portugal (49), Romania (7), Slovakia (3) Spain (36), and Sweden (23), according to information from public sources. One new country (Slovakia) has reported SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VOC) cases since yesterday, and in addition a number of probable cases are reported in several countries.
Although cases reported initially were linked to travel, an increasing number of cases are now reported to be acquired within the EU/EEA, including as parts of clusters and outbreaks, with cases also being detected in representative surveillance systems. A preliminary analysis of the data reported to The European Surveillance System (TESSy) shows that imported or travel-related cases account for 22 (13%) cases, while 121 (70%) of the cases reported to TESSy have been acquired locally, including 78 (45%) cases sampled as part of local outbreak investigations.
EU/EEA countries reporting cases without an epidemiological link to travel outside the EU/EEA include Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Latvia, and Iceland. This indicates that undetected community transmission could be ongoing in EU/EEA Member States.
All cases for which there is available information on severity were either asymptomatic or mild. There have been no Omicron-related deaths reported thus far. These figures should be assessed with caution, as the number of confirmed cases is too low to understand if the disease clinical spectrum of Omicron differs from that of previously detected variants.
A summary of available studies on the neutralising capacity of antibodies from convalescent or post-vaccination sera against the Omicron variant virus is available in the Epidemiological Update of December 10.
Table 1. Confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC reported by public sources, as of 12 December 2021 (12:00)
|
Country/Region |
Confirmed cases |
|---|---|
|
EU/EEA Total |
766 |
|
Austria |
17 |
|
Belgium |
30 |
|
Croatia |
3 |
|
Cyprus |
3 |
|
Czechia |
5 |
|
Denmark |
195 |
|
Estonia |
15 |
|
Finland |
20 |
|
France |
59 |
|
Germany |
82 |
|
Greece |
3 |
|
Iceland |
20 |
|
Ireland |
6 |
|
Italy |
13 |
|
Latvia |
5 |
|
Liechtenstein |
1 |
|
Luxembourg |
0 |
|
Netherlands |
62 |
|
Norway |
109 |
|
Poland |
0 |
|
Portugal |
49 |
|
Romania |
7 |
|
Slovakia |
3 |
|
Spain |
36 |
|
Sweden |
23 |
* Denmark reported 195 cases as confirmed through whole genome sequencing and 1 645 as confirmed nationally through a variant-specific PCR.
Case definitions
Probable case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC infection
A person with a positive nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for SARS-CoV-2 AND one of the following: S-gene target failure or another PCR-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay indicative of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC or is a contact of a probable or confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC infection.
Confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC infection
A person with confirmed sequencing result for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC.
