Covid-19: Omicron may have reached most nations, spreading faster, says WHO
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The World Health Organization has warned Omicron was spreading faster than all other coronavirus variants, at an unprecedented rate, and urged countries to act quickly to contain it as several nations fear another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic could mar the Christmas holidays beginning next week.
The media reported on Wednesday the Dutch primary schools will close early as Europe battles a fresh wave of infections and hospital admissions, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a major parliamentary test seeking to impose fresh Covid-19 curbs.
Omicron, first detected in and reported by South Africa to the WHO in November, has passed through several mutations, setting alarm bells ringing since its discovery. Initial data suggests it could be resistant to vaccines in varying degrees and is more transmissible than the dreaded Delta variant, which was first identified in India and accounts for the bulk of the world’s coronavirus cases at present.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Tuesday the latest strain had so far been reported in 77 countries and had “probably” spread to most nations undetected “at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant”.
On Monday, Britain confirmed the world’s first probable Omicron death, but there is no proof yet that this variant causes a more severe illness. Africa had recorded a massive rise in cases over the past week but a lower number of deaths compared with previous waves.
Meanwhile, WHO expert Bruce Aylward warned against “jumping to a conclusion that this is a mild disease.” “We could be setting ourselves up for a very dangerous situation,” he added.
Low vaccination rates in regions, including Africa, would provide breeding grounds for new variants. The WHO estimated it will take Africa until May 2022 to have 40 percent vaccination coverage and until August 2024 to reach 70 percent as countries with plentiful vaccine supplies raced to administer third doses to beat Omicron.
The media reported Europe is the world’s coronavirus hotspot, recording 62 percent of the world’s total Covid-19 cases in the past seven days. The five countries with the world’s highest infection rates are all European.
On Tuesday, the Netherlands became the latest European nation to reintroduce restrictions as Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced primary schools will shut on December 20 instead of December 25 and a night-time lockdown will be extended amid Omicron fears.
The same day, France registered 63,405 new coronavirus cases — its highest daily total since April — even with over 77 percent of its population with at least one vaccine dose.
In Britain, the ruling Conservative government on Tuesday suffered a major parliamentary rebellion as almost 100 of its MPs rejected new coronavirus restrictions as the country responds to Omicron amidst increasing concerns of infections during the Christmas season.
According to scientists, the true number already infected with Omicron in Britain could be as high as 200,000 a day, while the English Premier League reported a record caseload that threatened further disruption to fixtures.
Across the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has so far killed at least 5.3 million deaths and infected 270 million others.
