Omicron hospitalising and killing people: WHO

NEW DELHI: On Thursday, January 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that Omicron strain of the COVID-19 is killing people all over the world and should not be dismissed as a minor infection. The number of patients infected with the new variant is already outnumbering the previously dominant Delta strain in several countries, according to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO.

Tedros noted in a news conference that just because Omicron appears to be less severe than Delta, especially in individuals who have been vaccinated, does not imply it should be classified as light. Omicron, like the preceding variations, is putting people in hospitals and killing them, he claimed.

The Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, has now spread over the world, becoming the dominant variant in various European Union countries, the United States, southern Africa, and the United Kingdom. In a 24-hour period on January 3, the United States registered almost one million COVID-19 cases. Last week, the WHO received reports of approximately 9.5 million new COVID-19 cases around the world.

Tedros stated that the massive and rapid influx of new COVID-19 cases has begun to strain health systems around the world, and that it should not be treated lightly. In the last 24 hours, India has reported around 1,17,100 new cases of the COVID-19. Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has named Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru as among India’s most vulnerable cities.

Omicron is unlikely to be the last variety of concern until the pandemic is finished, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s COVID-19 technical head. She asked everyone to take additional precautions to protect themselves from the infection.