WHO: Omicron could spread faster but it’s still not certain

Geneva, Dec. 8 (BNA): Early evidence suggests that the omicron variant may spread faster than the highly contagious delta variant but bring with it less severe coronavirus disease – although it is too early to draw firm conclusions, the World Health Organization said, AP.

The comments come amid growing concerns about the new variant that first appeared in South Africa last month, prompting some countries to close their borders and sparking fear in stock markets over the long-term impact of a possible new variant of the virus that has already infected at least 267 million people and killed More than 5.2 million.

Dr Michael Ryan, head of the World Health Organization’s emergency department, told reporters Wednesday that the data on the omicron variant so far “indicates a virus that transmits efficiently and perhaps even more efficiently than the delta variant,” which is the most widespread and lethal version.

Maria van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 at the UN health agency, cautioned that it was too early to determine the severity of the disease caused by omicron, saying there was only “anecdotal information” about it at the moment.

We certainly have information from South Africa that many of the patients identified with Omicron have a milder course of the disease,” she said. “But it takes time for people to go through the full course of infection.”

Meanwhile, WHO officials have stuck to their position that giving booster doses to people who have already been vaccinated should be a secondary priority to getting the first doses into the arms of people in places with relatively little vaccination coverage.

“Bulk strengthening is not the answer at the moment,” said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist. This appears to be an indication of policies in some countries, particularly in hard-hit Europe and the United States, that encourage broad groups of people to get booster doses, not just groups seen as particularly at risk.

“Data from country after country shows that people who are in intensive care units, people who are critically ill, people who are dying are not immune,” she said. “I think the message is loud and clear that this basic course of vaccination will protect against severe disease and death – and that should be our goal.”

She added that boosters are not useful in countries with large supplies of vaccines but where up to 50% of people have not been vaccinated, whether out of concern about secondary effects or for other reasons.

“At this point, the benefits we will get from reaching those people who have not received initial courses of vaccination will be higher than from giving additional doses to those who have already completed an initial course,” said Swaminathan.

The agency had hoped to vaccinate priority populations – the elderly, people with compromised immune systems and health care workers – in all countries by the end of this year. But rich countries with large stocks of vaccines have monopolized most of the doses.

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