Passengers on a flight that landed in Japan with an Omicron-infected traveler onboard have a very low possibility of testing positive for the new strain, the country’s health minister reportedly said, despite early data elsewhere suggesting the new variant has a higher reinfection rate compared to the likes of Delta.
Data on the variant is still limited, but the World Health Organization has classified Omicron as a “variant of concern” due to concerns that it could become more contagious and evade the protection of existing vaccines.
