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It is very unusual for the World Health Organization to be seen as alarmist in its warning. But it is unequivocal when it comes to the new variant of the coronavirus. “Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic,” the WHO has said in its latest release on the new variant. “The overall global risk related to the new variant … is assessed as very high.” (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/omicron-covid-variant-poses-very-high-global-risk-says-who)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, speaking at the meet of health ministers that was called to discuss the international response to pandemics, said, “The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/29/who-covid-omicron-variant-very-high-global-risk)
The virus was first detected in South Africa and it has spread to many countries in the world, especially Europe. The world has already imposed flight bans from various parts of Africa. The WHO has said that the countries make a “risk-based approach to adjust international travel measures”.
The virus is causing so much concern that the G7 health ministers are holding an emergency meeting to coordinate measures to stop the spread of the new variant.
Poland is the latest European country to announce various restrictions in the wake of the Omicron virus. The variant has been found in the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and others.
The WHO is not yet clear whether Omicron can cause more severe disease than infections with other variants, including Delta, but the speed with which it has spread and the fear that vaccines may not be that effective against it has the WHO worried. Nevertheless, it is asking the world’s nations to vaccinate its vulnerable populace at the earliest. (https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron)
Read more:
The “very high risk” variant:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/29/world/omicron-variant-covid
Omicron reaches Cananda too:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/11/29/covid-omicron-variant-live-updates/