Omicron Poses ‘Very High’ Risk Globally, Says WHO. Warns About ‘Severe’ Consequences In Case Of Surge
The WHO has stated that it could take several weeks to complete studies of Omicron to see if there are any changes in transmissibility, severity, or implications for COVID vaccines
New Delhi: The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, poses a “very high” risk globally.
It stressed that uncertainties about how contagious and dangerous the strain was, remained, news agency AFP reported.
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“If another major surge of COVID-19 takes place driven by Omicron, consequences may be severe,” WHO stated, as quoted by AFP.
However, it added that “to date, no deaths linked to Omicron variant have been reported.”
Meanwhile, the WHO on Monday opened a long-planned special session of member states to discuss ways to strengthen the global fight against pandemics like the coronavirus, at a time when the new Omicron variant has sparked immediate worry worldwide, the Associated Press reported.
The new and potentially more contagious B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on November 24.
Naming it Omicron, the WHO had declared it to be a variant of concern.
The classification puts Omicron into the WHO’s top category of worrying COVID-19 variants which includes the globally-dominant Delta, and the weaker variants Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.
Omicron is reported to have a high number of mutations, about 50 overall. Importantly, as South African genomic scientists informed, more than 30 of the mutations were found in the spike protein -- the structure the virus uses to get into the cells they attack.
The new variant, becoming a cause of alarm, has led to countries around the world introducing travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain Omicron’s spread.
Meanwhile, as per AFP’s report, the WHO has stated that it could take several weeks to complete studies of Omicron variant to ascertain if there are any changes in transmissibility, severity, or implications for COVID vaccines, tests, and treatments.
(With Agency Inputs)
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