According to the World Health Organization (WHO), on Saturday said that the Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in 89 countries, with the number of cases doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in places with community transmission.
The WHO noted in an update that Omicron is spreading fast in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it’s unclear if this is due to the virus’ capacity to circumvent the protection, its intrinsic greater transmissibility, or a mix of both.
Omicron was designated as a variant of concern by the agency on Nov. 26, shortly after it was discovered, and little is known about it, including the severity of the sickness it produces.
“There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron,” the WHO said. “More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity.”
It added, “There are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron”.
Reuters
