HONG KONG • Hong Kong scientists have succeeded in isolating the Omicron variant from clinical specimens which will help in developing vaccines against the new Covid-19 strain, the University of Hong Kong said on Tuesday.

The isolated variant will enable the development and production of vaccines against Omicron, which has been designated as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation, the university said.

The team from the Department of Microbiology is now working on expanding the virus for use in assessing its transmissibility, immune evasion capability, and pathogenicity in animal models.

The team is also exploring opportunities for urgent development and production of inactivated whole virus vaccines, the university said.

Virus isolation and incubation were conducted at the biosafety level 3 laboratory (P3 laboratory) at the university, following standard operating procedures. The university currently has the only P3 laboratory in Hong Kong.

The microbiology team is now working to further isolate and purify the variant virus for inactivated whole virus vaccine production.

The team succeeded in isolating the variant late on Monday, four days after the first two Omicron cases were confirmed in Hong Kong on Nov 25, and five days after South Africa reported the variant to the WHO on Nov 24.

WHO designated the variant, initially identified as B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, and named it Omicron on Nov 26.

Cases of the Omicron variant have since been reported around the world in countries and regions including Australia, Botswana, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel and the Netherlands, as governments imposed urgent travel bans and heightened surveillance.

"We recognise the serious threats of the variant and jumped into action immediately," said Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, chairman of infectious diseases at the university, who led the research effort.

"Isolating the variant is the first step in the urgent study of the variant," he added. Other leaders of the research team include Professor Chen Honglin and Dr Kelvin To, who heads the university's Department of Microbiology.

On Sunday, a 37-year-old man returning from Nigeria via Ethiopia and Thailand became Hong Kong's third patient infected with the Omicron variant after he tested positive during his quarantine at a local hotel. The first two Omicron cases had travelled from South Africa and Canada.

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK