Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), noted that the coronavirus variant Omicron is spreading at a rate not seen in previous variants and is likely to be found in most countries, even if it has not yet been detected. “The Omicron is spreading at a rate we’ve never seen in any mutation before,” Tedros said.
“WE HAVE UNDERSTANDED THIS VIRUS SO FAR”
“Seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of Omicron, and the truth is it’s probably in most countries and is spreading at a rate we’ve never seen before in any variant. We’ve underestimated this virus so far. Omicron,” Ghebreyesus told reporters at a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday. “even if it causes less serious illness, large numbers of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.”
IT DOESN’T MEAN THE EPIDEMIC WILL END
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the fact that the Omicron variant of the new type of coronavirus shows milder symptoms compared to other variants does not mean that the epidemic will end.
WHO Emergencies Program Director Mike Ryan also answered questions about the statements of some scientists that “if the Omicron variant is the dominant variant, the epidemic will end early” at the press conference held at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva. “I think the direct answer to that is no (the epidemic will not end),” Ryan said.
“WE SHOULD STAY AWARE AND ALARM”
However, pointing out that the Omicron variant is trying to “overcome” the Delta variant and that this rivalry has been between the Delta and Alpha variant before, Ryan said, “We need to remain alert and vigilant on this issue. “We can act now to protect the vulnerable and stop transmission,” he said.
VACCINATION PROBLEM
Ghebreyesus noted that 41 countries still could not vaccinate 10 percent of their population, and 98 countries did not reach 40 percent. In addition, the WHO chief said that there are significant disparities in vaccination between population groups in the same country.
OCCUPIED IN SOUTH AFRICA
The discovery of Omicron was first announced in November by scientists in South Africa. Following the emergence of Omicron, a number of countries imposed travel bans affecting South Africa and its neighbors, but this did not stop it from spreading around the world.