WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the ongoing Omicron variant is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant, yesterday(14). The World Health Organization warned that it is probably present in most countries of the world.
During a Covid update media brief in Geneva Dr Tedros told that Seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of omicron and the reality is that omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet.
Tedros further said the WHO is worried that countries are dismissing omicron as a mild variant. Though omicron is more contagious, it is not yet clear whether the strain causes more mild or severe disease than past variants of the virus.
“We have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril,” Tedros said. “Even if omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” he said.
Tedros warned that vaccines alone will not protect countries from omicron, emphasizing the importance of masks and social distancing.
“It’s not vaccines instead of masks. It’s not vaccines instead of distancing. It’s not vaccines instead of ventilation or hand hygiene. Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well,” Tedros said.
The omicron variant significantly reduces the protection against infection provided by Pfizer and BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine, according to preliminary lab data released by the companies last week. Scientists at the University of Oxford published a study on Monday that also found the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are less effective against omicron.
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