World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said that the Omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading at a rate not seen with any previous variant.
In a media briefing, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director general of WHO, said, “77 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. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant.”WHO urged that countries can and must prevent the spread of Omicron with measures that work. Vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis.
The WHO chief further said, “We’re concerned that people are dismissing Omicron as mild. Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.”
He reiterated, “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” The WHO said it is not against booster shots but against the inequity. “The emergence of Omicron has prompted some countries to roll out Covid-19 booster programmes for their entire adult populations, even while we lack evidence for the effectiveness of boosters against this variant.”
