Omicron Covid variant risk 'very high', warns WHO

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The World Health Organization on Monday warned against the new Covid-19 variant 'Omicron', claiming that the risk against it is 'very high'. The development comes shortly after WHO had said that  it is “not yet clear” whether the newly-detected coronavirus variant Omicron is more transmissible or causes more severe disease compared to other variants, including the highly-transmissible and globally prevalent Delta variant.

WHO is initiating a long-planned special session of member states to discuss ways to strengthen the global fight against pandemics like the coronavirus, just as the worrying new omicron variant has sparked immediate concerns worldwide.

The WHO on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant. WHO's regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.

“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moeti said in a statement.

It also said that even as researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available, “it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g.more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta”.

Also Read: Omicron Covid variant spooks the world, should you be scared? AIIMS Director Guleria explains