The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of the extremely rapid spread, at an unprecedented rate, of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes covid-19.
The warning was left in a video conference for the regular press about the covid-19 pandemic, which was broadcast from the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to the World Health Organization, vaccination alone will not prevent the spread of the new strain, so it is necessary to maintain health and social measures, such as the use of masks, physical distance, hand hygiene, and indoor ventilation.
Currently, 77 countries have confirmed the spread of this new strain, which the World Health Organization has classified as a variant of concern. Portugal records 69 cases linked to the new variant, Dr Ricardo Jorge, National Institute of Health, said today, with the latest data revealing a “trend strongly indicative of a community circulation”.
“Omicron is spreading at a rate unprecedented with any other species,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that the new strain “probably already exists in most countries, even if it has not yet existed.” find”.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of the danger that the increase in infections could lead to the collapse of less capable health services again and exacerbate inequalities in vaccination and “vaccine nationalism” with boosted doses.
“We have no evidence of the effectiveness of booster doses against this species,” he said, noting that “the priority is to vaccinate the unvaccinated and protect the least protected” in order to “save lives” around the world.
“We have to act now,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, stressing that despite causing mild symptoms, Micron is a “highly contagious variant, very rapidly spreading.”
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