Omicron testing, isolation and travel – what you need to know

In November a new variant of Covid-19 was detected in Botswana, Africa. The B.1.1.529 variant, officially named “Omicron”, has since spread to the UK. As of Monday, it makes up 20 per cent of total Covid cases in England. 

According to Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, the doubling rate for Omicron cases is now under 2 days in most regions of the UK and is expected to become the dominant variant. So far, just one person has died with Omicron and only a small number have been hospitalised. Here’s what you need to know.

How do you know if you’ve caught the Omicron variant? 

Rapid or lateral flow tests (LFT) can tell you whether you test negative or positive for Covid-19 but are unable to specify which variant you might have caught. If you receive a positive lateral flow test result you must self-isolate and get a PCR test to confirm the result. 

The PCR test is sent to a laboratory and if the test is positive, the pattern of 3 genes – the S gene, the ORF1ab gene and the N gene – are identified. The first indication of a suspected omicron case is found when the sample tests negative for the “S” gene, known as “S-gene dropout”.

Once this has been identified the sample is sent off for full genomic sequencing which can take between four and five days. According to the BBC, not all UK labs have the technology to fully identify the Omicron variant, estimating only somewhere between half and a third do.

What are the current isolation rules? Have they changed?

If you test positive for any Covid variant you must stay home and self-isolate for 10 days. 

From Tuesday 14 December, people in England who are double vaccinated and come into contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid (any variant) do not have to isolate but must take daily lateral flow tests for seven days, reporting the results online.

The rules on self-isolation vary across the UK. Find the results for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland here.

What are the current travel rules?

If you are travelling to the UK, you must take a PCR or lateral flow test in the two days pre-departure and fill out a passenger locator form 48 hours before your flight. 

A day 2 PCR test is also required upon arrival into the UK, with mandatory self-isolation until a negative result is received.

If you are in England for less than 2 days, a day 2 test and self-isolation until a negative result is still required. 

This guidance applies to all countries as the UK removed all 11 remaining countries off its red list yesterday, meaning there will be no more government-approved hotel isolation. 

When will we get more data on how deadly the new variant is?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), early data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than other variants and three vaccine doses are key for protection against variant.

However, we are still for confirmation of anecdotal evidence that the symptoms of Omicron are milder, making the variant less dangerous. 

We now have four weeks of Omicron data from Africa, which suggests Omicron is milder than previous variants, but due to the young age demographic across the continent, it is hard to draw exact parallels. 

However, in the next fortnight, we should begin to collate data from our cases and hospitalisations. The 4-5 day genomic sequencing needed to fully identify Omicron cases might mean it takes a little longer to collate the data.