WHERE: Omicron poses ‘very big’ global risk, countries must take action

LAST UPDATE: 11.57

The Omicron mutation is quite likely to spread internationally, posing an “extremely high” risk, while in some parts of the world it could have “very serious consequences”, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

The agency, which is a UN agency, in its technical advice to its 194 member countries, calls on them to speed up the vaccination campaign, especially for high-risk groups, and to ensure that measures to reduce the spread are taken in time so that the health care system does not collapse.

“Omicron has an unexpectedly high number of mutations, some of which are worrying about their possible impact on the evolution of the pandemic,” the WHO said. “The level of general global risk from the new variant of the Omicron concern is considered to be extremely high.”

Further research is needed, according to Reuters, in order to better understand Omicron’s ability to escape the immunity protection provided by vaccines and the previous disease, with newer data expected in the coming weeks.

“COVID-19 cases are also expected among vaccinated persons, albeit in small and expected percentages,” the WHO concludes.

No deaths have been reported in connection with the Omicron strain, although further research is needed to assess its ability to evade the protection offered by vaccines and previous infections, the WHO said.

“The increase in cases, regardless of their severity, may increase the pressure on health systems and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. The effects on vulnerable populations will be significant, especially in countries with low vaccination coverage,” the agency said.

The WHO was first informed of the new variant of the coronavirus on November 24 by the South African authorities, where the number of cases of covid-19 has risen sharply.

It has since spread around the world, with cases reported in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa and Portugal. and Canada.

Following the example of Israel, Japan announced today that it is banning all foreigners from entering its territory, while other countries have announced the suspension of travel to and from countries in southern Africa.

In its most recent directives, the WHO reiterated that countries should use a “risk-based” approach to adapt their measures for international travel in a timely manner.

“The presence of many mutations in the spike (…) protein suggests that Omicron is very likely to evade humoral immunity (antibodies). However, it is more difficult to predict whether it is evading cellular immunity,” the WHO said, explaining that in the coming weeks there will be more details.

“Covid-19 cases and infections are expected in vaccinated, albeit at a lower and expected rate,” he concluded.