‘First in the world’ Omicron Like variant discovered in Qld

Authorities have revealed that a new Omicron variant found in Queensland hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world.

Authorities have revealed that a Omicron variant found in Queensland is the first of its kind in the world.

Despite no new local cases, the state has logged its second Omicron case in hotel quarantine.

Speaking at a Covid update this morning, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said a man who arrived from Nigeria tested positive to Omicron in the past 24 hours.

“Everyone on that flight has been deemed to be a close contact,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said that the new Omicron in Queensland was ‘Omicron Like’.

“This is a new variant,” she said.

“Remember, it’s only been days since this has become an issue for Australia and other countries.

“And now, today, we are standing here announcing a new version of Omicron and it’s a first in the world.

She said the case from Nigeria revealed a second “lineage” of the Omicron variant.

“We have both of them,” she said, referring to the two Omicrons in Queensland.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Acting chief health officer Peter Aitken said that Omicron Like had about half the genetic changes of the initial Omicron variant.

“It has enough genes to be classified at Omicron, but we don’t know enough about it for what that means as far as clinical severity, vaccine effectiveness,” he said.

He said that Omicron Like did not have the normal means of screening for Omicron.

“It will lead to improvements in people recognising the potential spread of Omicron in all communities,” he said.

Dr Aitken said it was “amazing work” that scientists had picked up differences between the full Omicron variant and this new one.

“We don’t know enough about it, as far as that means as far as clinical severity, vaccine effectiveness,” he said.

“What we do know is that Omicron is more infectious and more transmissible.”

However Dr Aitken said that it looked to be a less severe illness.

“But severity lags about 7-10 days behind case diagnosis, so we need to wait and see.”

The latest Omicron positive patient is currently in Cairns but that person may be moved to Townsville Hospital. The first Omicron patient remains in a Brisbane hospital.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Peter Aitken. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Dr Aitken said the arrival of Omicron was a reminder that Covid-19 is not over.

“This doesn’t mean that the Covid journey is finished, in many ways it means the Covid journey is just starting,” Dr Aitken said.

He warned there would still be disruptions to people’s lives once borders reopen on Monday.

“We will have cases, it means that we will have to look at mask wearing, we will have to contact trace,” he said.

The Omicron case was one of two new cases in the state - neither have been detected in the community.

The other case is an interstate arrival in quarantine.

More than 12,200 vaccines were administered by Queensland Health on Tuesday.

It means 87.53 per cent of Queenslanders have now received their first dose and more than 79 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

The Minister warned businesses that they cannot choose to stay with existing restrictions from December 17.

She said she had seen misinformation circulating online.

Dr Aitken said once the borders reopened he expected cases to peak between March and June.

“Please don’t think we are going to go from elimination to living with Covid”, he said.

“The more people we get vaccinated the lower the case numbers will be and the fewer people will be in the ICU,” he said.