The highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes less severe disease than the delta strain, but remains a “dangerous virus,” especially for those who are not vaccinated, the director of the World Health Organization.
In a press conference, the CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 90 countries have not yet met the goal of vaccinating 40% of their population and that more than 85% of people in Africa have yet to receive a single dose.
“We must not let this virus run free or wave a white flag, especially when so many people around the world remain unvaccinated,” he said.
In its weekly epidemiological report on Tuesday, the WHO said cases rose by 55%, or 15 million, in the week to January 9 from the previous week, the most reported cases in a single week.
“This huge spike in infections is being driven by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly replacing the delta variant in almost all countries,” Tedros said.
He stated that the majority of people hospitalized around the world with Covid-19 were not vaccinated and that if transmission is not stopped there is a greater risk of another variant emerging that could be even more transmissible, and more deadly, than Omicron.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx