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The World Well being Group warned Monday the brand new Covid-19 Omicron variant poses a “very excessive” threat globally, regardless of uncertainties in regards to the hazard and contagion ranges of the brand new pressure.
The UN well being company stated the Covid pressure first found in southern Africa was a “extremely divergent variant with a excessive variety of mutations… a few of that are regarding and could also be related to immune escape potential and better transmissibility.”
“The chance of potential additional unfold of Omicron on the world stage is excessive,” WHO cautioned in a technical be aware.
To this point, no deaths linked with the Omicron variant have been reported, it added.
However even when the brand new variant doesn’t show extra harmful or lethal than earlier ones, if it spreads extra simply it can spark extra circumstances and extra strain on well being programs, and thus extra deaths, the organisation stated.
“If one other main surge of Covid-19 takes place pushed by Omicron, penalties could also be extreme,” it stated, concluding that “the general world threat associated to the brand new VOC (variant of concern) Omicron is assessed as very excessive.”
WHO stated international locations ought to improve their surveillance to attempt to get a transparent overview of the place and how briskly it’s spreading.
It additionally urged accelerated vaccination in opposition to Covid, particularly amongst susceptible populations who’ve but to obtain any jabs.
But it surely has cautioned in opposition to imposing journey bans, fearing that blocking journey from international locations the place new variants are first noticed might be unfair and dissuade surveillance.
“With the Omicron variant now detected in a number of areas of the world, setting up journey bans that concentrate on Africa assaults world solidarity,” stated WHO regional director Matshidiso Moeti.
A rising listing of nations have already imposed journey restrictions on southern Africa, together with Britain, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the USA.
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