The Covid-19 pandemic “is far from over”, warned the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday (18), warning against the idea that the omicron variant is benign.
“The omicron continues to sweep the planet. (…) Make no mistake, the omicron causes hospitalizations and deaths, and even the least serious cases overwhelm health institutions”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva (Switzerland).
+ UNWTO: international tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic level before 2024
“This pandemic is far from over and given the incredible growth of the omicron around the world, new variants are likely to emerge,” he added.
On January 11, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) estimated that while the disease is still in a pandemic phase, the spread of the omicron variant will turn Covid-19 into an endemic disease that humanity can learn to deal with.
“As immunity increases in the population – and with the micron, there will be a lot of natural immunity beyond vaccination – we will quickly move towards a scenario closer to endemicity,” said Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccine strategy at the Amsterdam-based EMA. .
In Switzerland, Health Minister Alain Berset also estimated last week that the omicron variant could be “the beginning of the end” of the pandemic.
But the WHO chief is much more cautious and once again stressed that the omicron variant is not benign.
“In some countries, Covid cases seem to have peaked, giving hope that the worst of this latest wave is over, but no country is out of the woods yet,” he told reporters.
The official expressed particular concern about the fact that many countries have low rates of vaccination against covid: “People are more at risk of suffering from severe forms of the disease or of dying if they are not vaccinated”.
“Omicron may be less severe on average, but the narrative that it is a mild disease is misleading (and) undermines the overall response and costs more lives,” Tedros said.
know more
+ SP: Man dies standing, leaning against car, and scene scares residents on the coast
+ One twin became vegan, the other ate meat. Check the result
+ Reincarnation in history: an age-old belief
+ Andressa Urach asks for money on the internet: ‘Help me pay my card bill’
+ Horoscope: check today’s forecast for your sign
+ CNH: see what you need to know for the application and renewal
+ See which were the most stolen cars in SP in 2021
+ Expedition identifies giant squid responsible for ship sinking in 2011
+ Everything you need to know before buying a crockpot
+ US Agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ What is known about fluorone?
+ Trick to squeeze lemons becomes a craze on social media
+ IPVA 2022 SP: see how to consult and pay the tax
#believes #Covid19 #pandemic