Earlier, WHO’s Europe director Hans Kluge claimed that pandemic could come to an ‘end’ in Europe after the current Omicron variant that has created havoc across the world.
New Delhi: With the rise in Omicron cases across the globe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned people against any complacency, asserting that it is dangerous to assume that we are in the endgame. Maria van Kerkhove, the global health body’s technical lead on Covid-19, also claimed that Omicron will not be the last variant of the coronavirus and there could be more in the days to come.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Kerkhove stated, “This virus is still evolving and changing and we need to change and adjust accordingly. We not only have to increase the vaccination coverage around the world but also try and transition out. It will not end with the latest wave and Omicron will not be the last variant we speak about, unfortunately.”
This comes hours after WHO’s Europe director Hans Kluge claimed that pandemic could come to an ‘end’ in Europe after the current Omicron variant that has created havoc across the world.
“It’s plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame. There will be for quite some weeks and months a global immunity, either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lower seasonality,” news agency AFP quoted Kluge as saying.
Omicron now in 171 countries, to soon replace Delta globally
As per the WHO, the Omicron variant has been identified in 171 countries. The variant has rapidly outpaced Delta in most countries, driving an upsurge of cases in all regions. “Omicron has a substantial growth advantage over Delta, and it is rapidly replacing Delta globally,” the global health agency said.
The global health body said there “is significant evidence” to show that immune evasion contributes to the rapid spread of Omicron. However, the WHO said further research is needed to better understand the relative contribution of intrinsic increased transmissibility and immune evasion in explaining transmission dynamics.
‘Omicron cases to peak in February’
Anthony Fauci, top US infectious disease expert, has said he is confident that most states in the country will reach a peak of Omicron infection cases by mid-February. “You never want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with this virus,” Fauci added on Sunday in an interview with ABC News.
“Things are looking good. We don’t want to get overconfident, but they look like they’re going in the right direction right now,” he told the news channel, adding that there are states in the northeast and in the upper midwest where cases have already peaked and declined “rather sharply.” But cases are still rising in southern and western states.
