WHO says there is no reason to panic over Omicron COVID strain as much remains unknown

As countries across the world are trying to contain the spread of the newly discovered Omicron COVID-19 variant, WHO representative in Russia, Melita Vujnovic, said that there are no reasons for panic regarding the new strain. It is to mention that the Omicron variant had first appeared in a specimen collected on November 9 and was reported from South Africa. Until now, the new strain has been discovered in the UK, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Israel, and Hong Kong and it has been deemed as a 'Variant of Concern (VoC)' by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Even amid rising concern over the spread of the Omicron COVID variant, Vujnovic, while speaking during Soloviev Live YouTube show, said, “It seems to me that there should be no panic, as we do not know yet... if this virus bypasses a vaccine, how much it will decrease the effectiveness of any vaccine - we do not know this, at the moment.”

She added that “of course, Africa does not have enough vaccine shots, even though the South African Republic produces vaccine”. However, the WHO official also assumed that the Omicron variant might be more contagious than other strains. 

Concern over Omicron COVID variant 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the WHO identified the new variant as one of concern, as it potentially may be more transmissible and dangerous. According to Sputnik, the new Omicron variant is reported to carry 32 mutations. Following the reports about the new strain, the US, EU, Canada, Israel, Australia and several other nations restricted travel from southern African nations over health concerns. 

South Africa, on the other hand, has said that it was being punished for its advanced scientific ability that detected the new Omicron variant of the novel Coronavirus with relatively much larger mutations that have since spread to Belgium, Botswana, Israel, Hong Kong, and until recently the UK. South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, in a statement on November 27 lamented the abrupt global travel bans and sweeping restrictions imposed on South African travellers due to the Omicron variant panic. Accusing the world of discrimination, South Africa purported that had any other country detected the first confirmed case of the Omicron variant, the global reaction “would have been starkly different.” 

(Image: Pixabay/Twitter)