WHERE: More evidence that Omicron causes milder disease than other strains

There is more evidence that the Omicron mutation affects the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous mutated strains of the virus, a World Health Organization official said Tuesday.

“We are seeing more and more studies showing that Omicron is affecting the upper respiratory tract, as opposed to other mutations that could cause severe pneumonia,” WHO Case Manager Abdi Mahamud told reporters, noting that this was “good news”.

However, he added that Omicron’s high transmissibility means that the mutation will prevail in the coming weeks in many parts of the world, threatening countries where much of the population remains unvaccinated.

His observations on the reduced risk of serious illness are consistent with the results of other studies.

Mahamud rang the alarm bell for South Africa, where the mutated strain was first identified, calling it an “extreme case” as it has a fairly young population.

Asked if a special vaccine was needed for Omicron, Mahamud said it was too early to say, but stressed that the decision required global coordination and should not be left to the discretion of pharmaceutical companies alone.