The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that Omicron, the new strain of Covid-19, is spreading in countries with documented community transmission much faster than the delta version, with a doubling time of 1.5-3 days.
The WHO said the omicron variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases in areas with community transmission is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days.
The WHO said in an update that omicrons are spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is not clear whether this is due to the virus’s ability to evade immunity, its inherently increased transmittance, or a combination of both. .
“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 affected by vaccination and pre-existing immunity.”
“There is still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence on the efficacy or effectiveness of a vaccine for Omicron,” it said.
The WHO warned that cases are increasing so rapidly that in some places there may be increased pressure on hospitals.
“Hospitalisations continue to increase in the UK and South Africa, and given the rapidly increasing number of cases, it is possible that many health systems may be quickly overwhelmed.”
The world’s top health body said the Omicron variant, which was designated as a variant of concern on 26 November, has been identified in 89 countries in all six WHO regions as of 16 December.
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