Saudi Arabia has reported the country’s first positive case of the omicron COVID-19 variant, and has launched a “epidemiological investigation,” according to reports.
The Omicron variant has authorities around the world urging caution as a potentially harmful strain of the Coronavirus, which was named last week by the WHO has a variant of concern.
The case in Saudi Arabia was sent to quarantine, where accredited health procedures were followed, according to Arab News.
“Health experts across the world and the Kingdom are closely monitoring the situation and more research needs to be done to determine its lethality. At this stage, prevention is better than the cure and standard precautions must continue to be practiced,” Saudi Ministry of Health spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said at a specially convened press conference.
The Kingdom joined more than 21 other nations, including now in the United States, in recording an omicron infection.
