Editor's Review

Kenya has detected the first case of Omicron variant

Kenya has detected the first case of Covid-19 Omicron variant, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced.

CS Kagwe has said that the three cases were spotted among travellers. One of them is a South African while two are Kenyans.

He warned that the possibility of the virus spreading in the country is not a matter of if but when. 

"We've detected Omicron among travellers and it’s just a matter of time before it becomes the dominant variant across the globe, I have no doubt about it. However, no local case has been reported. It's spreading very fast but the saving grace is, it's not severe," the CS said.

The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

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It was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on  November 24.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as a variant of concern and named it "Omicron", the fifteenth letter in the Greek alphabet.