A lot of urgent work needs to be done to further understand the new coronavirus variant Omicron, said the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) yesterday.

It added that although Omicron emerged recently, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test should still detect cases of the variant.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, an NCID spokesman said: "There remains a lot of urgent work to be done to further understand this variant. This includes transmissibility, diagnostics, clinical manifestations, disease severity, acquired immunity from vaccine or natural infection, and others."

He added that NCID will continue to monitor and collaborate internationally to further its understanding of this new variant of concern.

Omicron, or the B.1.1.529 strain of the coronavirus, was designated a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation last Friday.

Seen as possibly more contagious, it was first detected in South Africa on Nov 11, and has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong.

In recent days, Singapore and other countries have restricted travel from southern Africa amid concerns over the Omicron strain.