After omicron it is plausible that the COVID pandemic will end in Europe, says the WHO

The omicron variant of the coronavirus, from which 60% of Europeans could be infected before March, gave way to a new phase of the COVID pandemic in the region and could hasten its end, the WHO director for Europe.

“It is plausible that the region is nearing the end of the pandemic”, Hans Kluge, regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe, told AFP, although he called for caution, given the versatility of the virus.

“As soon as the omicron wave calms down, there will be global immunity for a few weeks and months, either thanks to the vaccine or because people will have been immunized by the infection, and also a decrease due to seasonality“, I consider.

However, Europe is not in a “was endemic”, stressed the person in charge.

“endemic means […] that we can foresee what is going to happen; this virus has surprised more than once. So we have to be carefulKluge insisted.