The Omicron variant of COVID is killing people worldwide and should not be dismissed as mild, WHO warned as per AFP.?
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the high number of people catching the new variant meant hospitals were struggling to handle it.
"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," he said while speaking to the media.?
"Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people," he added.?
"In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world," he went on to say.
Just under 9.5 million fresh cases were reported to WHO in the previous week. That was 71% more than a week before.
But Tedros said even that was an underestimate as the backlog of testing around the Christmas-New Year holidays was there along with positive self-tests not registered plus cases being missed.
He urged the world to share out vaccine doses more fairly in 2022.
92 of the 194 member states missed the target set for 2021 end. In fact, 36 jabbed less than 10%. This was mainly because of a lack of access.
Tedros wants 70% of the people to be vaccinated in all nations by the middle of 2022.
"Vaccine inequity is a killer of people and jobs and it undermines a global economic recovery," he continued.
"Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected," he explained.?
"Do everything that we have been advising better, more comprehensively, more purposefully," said WHO's COVID technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove.
"We need people to hang in there and really fight," she added.?
"It needs to cover your nose and mouth wearing a mask below your chin is useless," she went on to say.?
"We will be sitting here at the end of 2022 having somewhat the same conversation, which, in itself, would be a great tragedy," said WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan.
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