The health agency also sees premature considering making a specific vaccine against this variant of the coronavirus.
The current global wave of infections by the omicron variant may not decline as quickly as it has in South Africa, the first country where this new strain was detected, an expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
“We must be cautious, because South Africa had a similar situation with the alpha variant in 2020,” epidemiologist Abdi Mahamud, head of the WHO incident management office, recalled at a press conference.
In South Africa, moreover, “the rates of hospitalization and deaths from COVID-19 have been fortunately very low,” although also in this case, as in the previous one, “the data cannot be fully extrapolated, because each country is unique,” said the expert. .
According to WHO figures, South Africa reached its last peak of cases in mid-December, after doubling the number of reported cases for several days, but since then those figures have fallen at the same speed at which they rose. EFE.
Mahamud indicated that for now the omicron variant has been detected in 128 countries of the planet, “although surely in the rest it would also have been reported if they had the technical capacity.”
The current wave is still characterized by a hopeful disconnect between cases (which are increasing exponentially in many territories) and deaths, which remain stable, he stressed.
“The main message is that if you are vaccinated you are protected,” added the epidemiologist, noting that vaccines continue to be effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.
Mahamud added that different scientific studies are indicating that the omicron variant tends to infect only the upper part of the body, “unlike others that could affect the lungs and cause severe pneumonia.”
“This is good news, but more studies are required to confirm it,” the expert stressed.
A specific vaccine is premature
Experts around the world are reviewing the current composition of covid vaccines, although it is still too early to determine whether a new one will need to be developed against the omicron variant, Mahamud said.
“We have the experience of the flu vaccine and we have created a working group in coordination with the pharmaceutical sector to determine if a specific vaccine against the new variant is necessary, but it is still too early,” said the epidemiologist.
The expert added that omicron’s high transmissibility will cause it to become the dominant variant in many parts of the world, which represents a danger for those countries that still have large population groups unvaccinated.
Before thinking about booster vaccines (some countries are already considering a fourth dose) “it is necessary to guarantee access to vaccines in those overcrowded countries with lower-middle income levels,” he said.
Mutations of the virus “occur in unvaccinated people, therefore tackling this problem is an imperative need to stop this disease,” said Mahamud. (I)
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