The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned that Omicron, the recently discovered variant of Covid-19, poses a very high global risk and could have severe consequences where there are surges, reported Reuters. The global health body added that it is not yet known how contagious and dangerous it is.
“Given mutations that may confer immune escape potential and possibly transmissibility advantage, the likelihood of potential further spread of Omicron at the global level is high,” the WHO said.
The UN health body said no death linked to Omicron has been reported across the world, but more research is needed to assess its potential to escape protection against immunity induced by vaccines and previous infections.
“The emergence of the highly mutated omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the start of a three-day World Health Assembly meeting.
He said scientists around the world are “urgently” working to determine if the Omicron variant is more infectious or whether vaccines are effective against it.
The new variant was first detected in South Africa earlier this month. It has been reported in more than 12 countries so far including Botswana, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Israel, and the Czech Republic.
On Friday, the WHO declared the new coronavirus strain as a “variant of concern”, listing the new variant into the most troubling category of Covid variants, along with Delta, and its weaker rivals Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.
The WHO is expecting crucial data on Omicron in the coming weeks. It is feared that the variant can affect vaccinated people too.
“COVID -19 cases and infections are expected in vaccinated persons, albeit in a small and predictable proportion,” the WHO said.
Several countries have imposed restrictions and travel bans on flights to and from South Africa and other countries where Omicron cases have been detected.
