The Omikron variant has in a short time been confirmed and assumed in several outbreaks in Oslo

Strict national and regional measures have been implemented, yet little is known about the new virus.

– We do not think we can stop the omicron infection, so the goal now is to limit so we have time to find out more about this variant, says Jorunn Thaulow, district chief physician at Vestre Aker in Oslo.

Three possible outbreaks in the capital

Vestre Aker has two possible omicron outbreaks in progress. In addition to the conference at Lysebu, omikron is suspected at Steinerskolen in the district.

After the conference at Lysebu, seven people are infected.

– Da probable omicron has been proven in three of these. This means that we are still waiting for a final answer as to whether this is probably omicron, says Thaulow.

– All the 100 who had been there were put in 10-day quarantine, in the same way as household members or similarly close ones.

Steinerskolen in the district closes for two days after what is possibly an omicron outbreak, the school confirms to NRK.

One student is infected, and at least 100 students and all teachers at the school must be quarantined and tested.

Quarantined to find out more

Immunologist Gunnveig Grødeland says that so far there are more questions than answers about the omicron variant.

– It is a virus we know relatively little about yet, and it is important to take some extra precautions so that we can find out more about what is happening.

– So the quarantine is primarily to find out more about the variant, not to spare the population from more infection?

– One can argue for both. From my point of view, it is important that one does not know much about this virus yet, and one therefore finds room to actually be able to find out something.

Infects easily, less ill?

Omikron does not appear to be as pathogenic as the delta variant, but suggests that infection is significantly easier. What this will mean for the corona situation in the future is difficult to say.

– That it is easily transmitted is not a problem in itself. The problem first arises if it is very pathogenic or if the vaccine has had a reduced effect. So now you try to get a time window to try to figure this out.

What if you find out that this virus is not very pathogenic and that the vaccines work excellently?

– Then this begins to approach a common coronavirus, ie the coronaviruses that have caused colds in the population for a long time before 2020. Somehow it is what we should, we just do not know when it happens. But you can be optimistic for as long as possible, because maybe we are starting to get closer now, says Grødeland.

Studying the Christmas table outbreak

– The National Institute of Public Health has set up a group to investigate the outbreak at the restaurant and nightclub Louise in Oslo.

This is what Tine Ravlo, assistant district chief physician in Frogner, the district in Oslo where the Christmas table outbreak occurred on Friday 26, says. November.

It should consist of once long in-depth interviews with each participant, to map how they have moved inside the nightclub and find out the routes of infection.

– They will see if there are special risk factors to know about to prevent infection. This is very important for handling now and then with omikron.

The screening of the positive test results so far indicates that half of the infected have the omicron variant.

– With over 120 infected from Louise, there are many close contacts in quarantine and a large mapping work must be done.