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It’s too early to say if omicron will get in the way of economic recovery, expert says

DAVIE, Fla. – The new U.S. travel restrictions are a smart way to wane the threat of the omicron variant, said Aarti Raja, a microbiologist, on Monday.

The associate professor of health sciences at Nova Southeastern University said there are still a lot of unknowns about the new coronavirus variant.

To determine its ability to get in the way of the ongoing economic recovery, Raja said scientists need to answer these questions:

“How much more efficiently can this strain get transmitted from one person to another when you compare it to let’s say the delta strain?

“And, will it evade vaccine protection?”

After cases with established links to international travel, there is evidence of community transmission in areas of the United States, but not in Florida.

Labs examining patients’ coronavirus samples have yet to report evidence of omicron in South Florida. Almost all of the COVID-19 cases are related to the delta variant.

Related story: How can I protect myself from the new omicron variant?

This Week In South Florida


About the Author
Christina Vazquez headshot

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

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