Number of confirmed Omicron cases in EU/EEA since 29 November 2021;
Credit: Kangkan Halder
The number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VOC) cases in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) increased fiftyfold within the space of two weeks.
The number of such cases in the EU / EEA reached 1,686 as of 13 December 2021, a fiftyfold increase from the 33 cases reported on 29 November 2021, data reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows.
Luxembourg's Ministry of Health confirmed its first Omicron case on 13 December 2021 during a press conference. The positive case was detected in a woman who had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (data not yet included in the ECDC report above).
The first Omicron case in the EU / EEA was reported by Belgium in an unvaccinated traveller on 26 November 2021.
The epidemiological data of the Omicron cases is of great importance but there is very limited data available. In this context, ECDC has reported preliminary details for 174 Omicron cases in the EU / EEA (as of 13 December 2021). The graphs show the distribution by age, vaccination status and severity in terms of symptoms reported. The percentages are likely to change over time.
Hospitalisation and fatality rates for Omicron cases cannot be fully ascertained yet.
Globally, 6,430 confirmed Omicron cases have been reported across 70 countries.
