WHERE: Omicron causes less serious illness, but it is not mild

The most contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to cause less serious illness than the world-leading Delta strain, but should not be categorized as “mild,” the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said today.

Speaking to reporters, Tentros General Manager Antanom Gebregesous also reiterated his call for greater equality worldwide in the distribution and access of vaccines.

Based on the current rate of vaccine growth, 109 countries will miss the WHO target of having 70% of the world’s population fully vaccinated by July, the Center added. This target is thought to help end the acute phase of the pandemic.

Another variant – marked IHU and first recorded in September 2021 – is among those monitored by the WHO but not widely circulated, said Maria van Kerkov, WHO technical director for COVID-19.

There are two other major categories that the WHO uses to track variability: “anxiety variant”, which includes Delta and Omicron, and “variance of interest”.

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Source From: Capital

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