WHO official Dr. Mahamud described this as “good news”. While the variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, which originated in South Africa, continues to spread rapidly all over the world, a new statement came from the World Health Organization regarding the symptoms of the variant.
Abdi Mahamud, Director of WHO’s Cases Unit, said there is a growing number of studies suggesting that the Omicron variant affects the upper airways rather than the lower airways, which is “good news”. Speaking about the Chinese production Sinovac vaccine, which was also applied in Turkey at the beginning of the pandemic, the WHO official said, “Our predictions are that Covid-19 vaccines such as Sinopharm and Sinvac will protect against hospitalizations due to the Omicron variant.”
“The decision cannot be left to the commercial sector”
When asked whether there is a need to develop a separate vaccine against the Omicron variant, Mahamud emphasized, “It is too early to say this. However, the decision in this direction cannot be left to the commercial sector alone, it requires global coordination.”
Making a statement about the fourth dose of vaccine, the official said that instead of reaching the 70 percent vaccination target in the world by July, it should be aimed.
“May be the last wave”
A similar statement regarding the Omicron variant also came from Denmark. Tyra Krause, Chief Epidemiologist of the Danish State Serum Institute, told Danish media that the Omicron variant alleviates the severity of the disease. The expert stated that less than five of the 93 people who applied to the hospital with the diagnosis of Covid-19 at the end of December were treated in the intensive care unit. “This may be what will save us from the pandemic, this may be the last wave,” Krause said.
German Health Minister: It can be a bridge
In his statement, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach stated that Omicron could be “a possible bridge” in the transition from pandemic to endemic. “However, we do not know for certain how the Omicron variant causes a course in the unvaccinated,” said Lauterbach. Expressing that the data indicate that the Delta variant of Omciron is less dangerous, Lauterbach said: “There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is not known whether this applies to the unvaccinated.”
Germany’s leading experts also expressed the opinion that the Omicron wave could be “lighter”. Famous German Virologist Christian Drosten said in a statement on Deutschlandfunk radio that Omicron “probably alleviates the severity of the disease”, while another Virologist Hendrik Streeck stated that he is hopeful that there will be a “light wave”.
The Omicron variant, which is spreading rapidly around the world, is expected to become the dominant variant in many countries in a short time.
Reuters,dpa/BO,UK
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