“Don’t take Omicron variant lightly”: WHO issues stern warning on the new variant

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday warned against categorising the Omicron variant as mild and said that the new coronavirus variant is killing people across the planet.

“While Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorised as mild,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

He further added that Omicron is out-competing the Delta variant causing bulk of the new Covid infections and leading to a surge in hospitalizations. “Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people,” Tedros added.

The variant which was first discovered in South Africa has now spread to most parts of the world and is the dominant variant in several European Union nations, US, southern Africa and the UK. It is also spreading fast in Asia and parts of South America as well. The variant, according to experts, is more transmissible than Delta and may have the ability the immunity offered by vaccines. Experts earlier said that Covid caused by Omicron variant may not be as severe as the one caused by the Delta variant – which led to the second wave in several nations – but evidence is still inconclusive as research continues into the effect Omicron variant can have on those infected.

The WHO chief said that the Omicron has led to a ‘huge and quick’ tsunami of cases and is stressing healthcare systems across the globe. More than 9.5 million new Covid-19 cases were reported to the WHO last week, according to AFP. This set a new grim milestone in the planet’s fight against Covid-19 as cases rose by 71% compared the week before.

The WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove urged citizens across the planet to put more purpose while following Covid-19 protocols. She said that people need to adhere strictly to Covid-19 preventative measures more than ever as Omicron runs rampant. “Do everything that we have been advising better, more comprehensively, more purposefully. We need people to hang in there and really fight,” Kerkhove said in a press briefing.