Story at a glance
- Health officials said the omicron variant is spreading faster than previous strains of the coronavirus.
- At least 77 countries have reported cases, and officials said the strain is likely in most countries.
- “Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” Tedros added.
The new omicron variant appears to be spreading faster than previous strains of the coronavirus and is likely circulating in most countries across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday.
During a news briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 77 countries have reported cases of the variant first discovered in South Africa, noting the strain is “probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet.”
“Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant,” Tedros said.
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“We’re concerned that people are dismissing omicron as mild. Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” Tedros added.
While WHO officials said the variant is spreading quickly, it’s still unclear whether it causes more severe illness than previous strains.
Tedros said vaccines alone will not slow the virus, emphasizing that masks, social distancing and hygiene are all critical to curbing the spread.
South African researchers on Tuesday released data suggesting the standard two-dose regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is about 70 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations. The data also suggests the vaccine series are only about 33 percent effective at preventing infection.
A recent Israeli study found that three doses of the Pfizer vaccine provided strong protection against the variant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the strain now represents about 3 percent of cases in the U.S. and that number is expected to quickly rise.
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