WHO warns that omicron variant is expanding at a rate never seen before

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned this Tuesday that the Omicron variant advances “at a speed never seen before“, since cases of this variant have been detected in 77 countries but the organization warns that” it is present in more countries but has not yet been detected. “

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom has shown his concern because society considers Ómicron “as something mild” and has clarified that, although its mild nature is true, its rapid spread “could affect health systems again”, for which it has reaffirmed that “Vaccines alone will not make the pandemic go away“.

“The Omicron variant is spreading at a speed that we have not seen before and we are concerned that people are viewing this variant as mild. We have probably learned that if we underestimate the virus, we will be damaged“, has underlined.

Use all ‘weapons’ against the most infectious variant

During his speech, Tedros Adhanom addressed the countries and their world leaders so that keep taking the sanitary measures “that work”. “It is not about vaccines instead of masks, it is not about vaccines instead of distancing, it is not about vaccines instead of ventilation. You have to do everything and well “, has stressed.

Furthermore, WHO spokesperson Adi Mhamud has confirmed that early data and studies of the Omicron variant indicate that has a higher reinfection rate than the rest of the variants so far known. “This shows the important rate of spread that it has,” he insisted.

Booster dose

On the other hand, the WHO has defended the importance of the booster dose but they have argued that these vaccination programs “exacerbate the gap between countries“, to which the general director has stated that they are”against inequality“.” It is a matter of prioritization. The order is important. Give booster doses to groups that are at low risk of death or infection endangers the lives of those who are at high risk“, has declared.

In this sense, it has updated the situation of low-income countries and among these there are still 41 countries that do not reach ten percent of vaccinated among their total population while 98 countries have not achieved 40 percent vaccination coverage.

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Those most affected are the unvaccinated

Finally, Tedros Adhanom has recognized that people who, currently, they are hospitalized for the covid-19, or what they have even passed away, are due to people who they have not been vaccinated, for which he has insisted that “the priority must be to vaccinate the unvaccinated.”