Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO), does not believe that the omicron variant will be the last of the COVID-19 virus, so he has warned of the possibility that in the future a more deadly one arises as long as the virus continues to circulate.
“Ómicron probably won’t be the last variant of COVID-19. We don’t know yet, but the more the virus circulates, the more likely it is that a new, more deadly variant will emerge que omicron, “he warned. In line, the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recalled that last week more than 15 million new cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide,” the highest number of cases reported in a single week. “” And we know that this is an underestimation, “he pointed out.
However, it has detailed that the number of reported weekly deaths “has remained stable since October last year, with an average of 48,000 weekly deaths.” “Although the number of hospitalized patients is increasing in most countries, it is not at the level of previous waves,” he celebrated. In his view, this is “possibly” due to the lesser severity of omicron and the generalized immunity from vaccination or previous infection. In any case, he has sent a message of caution to the population: “Although omicron causes a less serious disease than delta, it is still a dangerous virus, especially for those who are not vaccinated. Almost 50,000 deaths a week are 50,000 more deaths. Learning to live with this virus does not mean that we can, or should, accept this death toll. ”
About the forecast that 50% of Europeans will be infected with omicron in the next two months, the lead epidemiologist of the WHO, Maria van Kerkhove, has indicated that there are “the tools to plan and avoid that it is fulfilled”. “We ask everyone to help us reduce transmission,” he added.
There will not be an endemic situation in a country while in the rest of the world there is still a pandemic
For his part, Aylward has shown impressed with the great omicron flood: “The curve of the epidemic is staggering. In 30 years working with infectious diseases I have never seen anything like it. Everything possible must be done to stop the infections.”
WHO insists on not talking about endemic yet
Van Kerkhove has rejected that, for the moment, we are entering an endemic phase. “There will be no endemic situation in one country while in the rest of the world there is still a pandemic. This is not how it works. What will happen in the spring is up to us. The coronavirus will become endemic, there is no doubt about it, but we are not there yet. We are in the middle of a pandemic, “he claimed.
For his part, Tedros has urged “not to allow this virus to have a free pass or to lower our guard, especially when there are so many people in the world who are still not vaccinated.” “In Africa, more than 85 percent of people have not yet received a single dose of vaccine. We will not be able to end the acute phase of the pandemic if we do not close this gap,” he stressed.
The same opinion has been expressed by the executive director of the WHO Emergencies Program, Mike Ryan, who believes that “this is not the time to give up.” “This is not the time to declare that this is a welcome virus. No virus that kills people is welcome,” he defended.
Vaccination, the key to winning
Tedros added that “the vast majority of people admitted to hospitals around the world are not vaccinated.” “Although vaccines are still very effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness and death, they do not totally prevent transmission. Higher transmission means more hospitalizations, more deaths, more people without work, including teachers and health workers, and more risk of the emergence of another variant even more transmissible and more deadly than omicron “, has advanced.
Likewise, it has argued that this large number of COVID-19 cases “also places greater pressure on already overloaded and exhausted health workers.” “Protecting those most at risk also helps protect healthcare systems and healthcare workers, who are once again under increased pressure due to omicron loading. Healthcare workers have done everything they can to protect us for two years; we must all do our part to protect them, vaccinating and taking precautions to avoid infecting us or infecting another person “, he has riveted.
WHO also recalls that the acute phase of the pandemic cannot be ended if inequality in access to vaccines continues. 85% of people in Africa have not yet received a single dose and the goal that by the middle of this year 70% of the population of each country is fully vaccinated remains uncertain. Ninety countries have not even reached the target of 40% of their vaccinated population and 36 of them have vaccinated less than 10%.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
