Raghib Ali, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, UK, says that travel bans don't solve the problem. Better testing is more effective.
We need a proportional response. Ali says that there is no travel ban, but testing and quark for people coming from countries where omicron is present.
The travel bans could have a negative effect on South Africa, as it needs to do the research on the impact of omicron in real-world settings. If nothing changes, we will run out of sequencing reagents next week, according to a bioinformatician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The fear is that the treatment of southern African countries will lead other countries to conclude that if you detect a new variant, it's best to keep it to yourself.
They might not share the data we need because they see others getting punished for spotting a new variant. Ali says that is not a theoretical possibility.
Omicron will not be the last variant of concern. When the next one hits, we need countries to share what they know. That openness is in danger because of the travel bans.
The WHO regional director for Africa said in a statement last week that travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity.
