The global risk posed by the new omicron variant of the coronavirus is “very high”, warned on Monday the World Health Organization (WHO) in a technical report on this new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Taking into account the high mutations of the omicron, with the potential to make it more resistant to immunization and more contagious, the risk of the variant being transmitted worldwide is “high”, says the document, written on Sunday but released today by the WHO.
“The omicron has an unprecedented number of mutations in the spike protein, some of which are of concern for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic,” said WHO. “The overall global risk related to the new variant of omicron concern is rated very high,” he continues.
“There could be new waves of Covid-19 with serious consequences, depending on many factors, including where these waves occur,” anticipated the report, which further says that Covid-19 cases are expected in vaccinated people “albeit in a small proportion and predictable”.
In the face of these risks, WHO urges its Member States to take certain priority actions, including “accelerating vaccination against Covid-19, especially among the at-risk population that remains unvaccinated.”
It also urges all countries to increase surveillance measures, report possible cases or outbreaks associated with the variant, and that laboratories increase the sequencing work needed to analyze the structure of the coronavirus.
The WHO does not absolutely recommend in the technical report that flights to certain regions be banned, noting only that national authorities “should use scientific bases to adjust in a timely manner measures around international travel”.
However, the WHO admits that for the time being the cases of omicron already detected in four regions (Africa, Europe, Middle East and East Asia) are related to travel, although “it is to be expected that the main origin of cases will change as more information is obtained”.
Moderna executive director Stephane Bancel said today in an interview with CNBC that vaccine efficacy data against the omicron variant should be available within two to six weeks.
Cases detected in several countries
The first confirmed case of omicron was detected in a specimen collected last day 9 in South Africa, and just two days later another with the same variant was confirmed in neighboring Botswana.
To date, the new variant has been detected in more than a dozen countries and regions, including the UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Israel, Canada, Australia, Italy, Scotland, Portugal and Hong Kong.
Portugal detected 13 cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, all related to players and employees of the Belenenses football team. Defender Cafú Phete tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to Portugal from a business trip to South Africa.
Six cases of infection with the new variant have been detected in Scotland. The country’s authorities said that some of these cases had no travel history, indicating that community transmission had occurred, according to The Guardian.
Dutch police said they arrested a couple who left the hotel where they were quarantined after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in an attempt to flee the country. According to information from the Guardian, at least one of the couple tested positive for coronavirus upon arriving in the Netherlands from South Africa. The Portuguese woman and the Spanish man were detained in their seats just before a flight to Spain departed from the airport. from Schiphol in Amsterdam on Sunday night.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/who-warns-of-very-high-global-risk-of-omicron-variant-of-coronavirus/
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