Hong Kong, China - Dec 3, 2021 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Queen Mary Hospital
2. Various of Kelvin To, Clinical Associate Professor from University of Hong Kong, working
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin To, Clinical Associate Professor from University of Hong Kong:
"When we know that we have a case of Omicron variant in Hong Kong, we go straight away and do a viral culture. In a few days we could see the virus isolate from the viral culture. I think the most important thing is that with this virus, we can then do a lot of experiments to assess the risk of this Omicron variant to humans."
4. Various of To working
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin To, Clinical Associate Professor from University of Hong Kong (partially overlaid with shot 6):
"One of the postulations is that when one of the cases, especially the index case, opened the door, the virus spread into the corridor. And because the air is not flowing too well in the corridor so it stays in that position. When the other person, the victim, opens his door and get his food or whatever, he may have breathed it in. We believe if this is really occurring then this is airborne transmission, and if a virus is airborne that means it can transmit more easily. So this is one reason among many that we think for this Omicron variant, we have to be careful."
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6. To in interview
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: Hong Kong, China - Exact date unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of pedestrians

Hong Kong, China - Dec 3, 2021 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kelvin To, Clinical Associate Professor from University of Hong Kong:
"I'm sure more and more variants will come up. Every single time when these variants come up, we will need to think whether we need to develop a new vaccine or not. In my opinion, I think it will just be like an influenza vaccine. For influenza, for example, we have a yearly vaccination and in some years the vaccine components need to be updated because of the mutations of influenza. I think it will be very likely for COVID-19 as well, that the vaccine manufacturers will get used to the pattern that we have to develop a new version because of the mutations."
9. People sitting on benches
10. Sign reminding people to wear masks, keep social distance
11. Banner reading "together, we fight the virus, please don't gather"

Scientists in the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (SAR) have announced that they are the first in Asia to isolate the Omicron variant from a COVID-19 sample and are now working with drugmakers on the Chinese mainland to develop a vaccine against the variant.

Kelvin To, a clinical associate professor in microbiology from the University of Hong Kong, said that he and his team have conducted research on the variant in Queen Mary Hospital, one of Hong Kong's busiest hospitals.

The team has now successfully isolated the variant from samples taken from recent Omicron cases in the city, according to To.

"When we know that we have a case of Omicron variant in Hong Kong, we go straight away and do a viral culture. In a few days we could see the virus isolate from the viral culture. I think the most important thing is that with this virus, we can then do a lot of experiments to assess the risk of this Omicron variant to humans," he said.

To and his team are analyzing Omicron's resistance to vaccines and trying to measure whether it's more contagious than previous variants.

The first local Omicron cases were discovered at the Regal airport hotel last week. Investigations suggest the virus was transmitted between two travelers who never had any contact.

"One of the postulations is that when one of the cases, especially the index case, opened the door, the virus spread into the corridor. And because the air is not flowing too well in the corridor so it stays in that position. When the other person, the victim, opens his door and get his food or whatever, he may have breathed it in. We believe if this is really occurring then this is airborne transmission, and if a virus is airborne that means it can transmit more easily. So this is one reason among many that we think for this Omicron variant, we have to be careful," said To.

Hong Kong has recorded four Omicron cases, all from travelers to the city, which has prompted the government to tighten its border controls by banning visitors from more than 20 countries deemed high-risk.

Currently, travellers who can enter the region must spend up to three weeks isolating in a quarantine hotel room on arrival.

In the meantime, the research team is working with drugmakers in the Chinese mainland to develop new vaccines that can specifically target Omicron, with hopes that it can be ready in a few months.

"I'm sure more and more variants will come up. Every single time when these variants come up, we will need to think whether we need to develop a new vaccine or not. In my opinion, I think it will just be like an influenza vaccine. For influenza, for example, we have a yearly vaccination and in some years the vaccine components need to be updated because of the mutations of influenza. I think it will be very likely for COVID-19 as well, that the vaccine manufacturers will get used to the pattern that we have to develop a new version because of the mutations," said To.