Omicron now in 89 countries, as new cases doubling every 3 days, says WHO
World Health Organization (WHO) has said new Omicron strain of the COVID-9 virus had so far been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases was doubling in 1.5 to 3 days.
According to WHO, in its latest update, Saturday, the this was “significantly faster than Delta in countries with documented community transmission.”
WHO admitted it does not know why Omicron is spreading so rapidly in countries with high levels of COVID-19 immunity, saying it is still not clear whether the new variant is spreading so fast due to its increased transmissibility, better immune evasion, or a combination of both factors.
“There are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron,” the WHO said during a technical briefing.”
It warned that given the speed of transmission and the growing number of hospitalizations in the UK and South Africa, “it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed.”
More data is also needed regarding the clinical severity of the variant, the WHO said, admitting it still does not understand “the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity.”
Since its discovery in South Africa about five weeks ago, the rapid spread of Omicron has prompted fresh travel bans and new pandemic restrictions, with several countries announcing full-scale lockdowns.
The UK has reported record daily numbers of new COVID-19 cases for three days in a row, with more than 93,000 cases announced on Friday.
London authorities are reportedly mulling the idea of a new two-week strict lockdown after Christmas.
