Omicron is spreading at a pace which the world has not seen with any other previous variant

The World Health Organisation has warned that Omicron is spreading at a rate that the world has not seen with any other previous variant of Covid-19.

Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned people that vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis and said, “Countries can and must prevent the spread of Omicron with measures that work today. It’s not vaccines instead of masks. It’s not vaccines instead of distancing. It’s not vaccines instead ventilation or hand hygiene. Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well”

Dr. Tedros said in a media briefing on Tuesday that 77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron. He further said, “The reality is that omicron is probably in most countries even if it hasn’t been detected yet.”

He also said, “We’re concerned people are dismissing omicron as mild. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.”

Talking about booster shots Dr. Tedros said,” “The emergence of Omicron has prompted some countries to roll out COVID19 booster programs for their entire adult populations, even while we lack evidence for the effectiveness of boosters against this variant.”

He said WHO is not against boosters but WHO is concerned that such programs will repeat the COVID19 vaccine hoarding the world saw this year, & exacerbate inequity. He said, “It’s a question of prioritization. The order matters. Giving boosters to groups at low risk of severe disease or death simply endangers the lives of those at high risk who are still waiting for their primary doses because of supply constraints.”