WHO: omicrons are spreading faster and vaccines are less effective – 12/12/2021

The World Health Organization said on Sunday (12) that the omicron variant of covid-19 appears to be spreading more than delta, with milder symptoms, bypassing the action of vaccines, which highlighted that these data are preliminary.

Omicron was present in 63 countries as of December 9, according to the World Health Organization in a technical update confirming statements made by its employees in recent days.

According to the World Health Organization, oomicron appears to spread faster than delta variableWhich until now is considered to be responsible for the majority of infections in the world.

This faster progression is not unique to South Africa, where deltas are less prevalent, but also to the United Kingdom, where this breed predominates.

So far, the lack of more information prevents us from confirming whether the omicron’s transmission rate is due to the fact that it is able to bypass immunity, the fact that its properties make it more transmissible, or a combination of these two factors.

The World Health Organization estimates that “Omicron should exceed delta in places where the population is widespread”.

Data are still insufficient to determine the severity of the clinical picture caused by omicrons, although so far symptoms appear to be ‘mild to moderate’ in both South Africa and Europe.

With regard to vaccines, the limited data available leads to the belief that the genetic profile of omicron “decreases efficacy with respect to infection prevention”.

Manufacturer Pfizer/BioNTech indicated last week that the three-dose vaccination schedule was still “effective” against Omicron.

Countries with the resources encourage the population to take a third dose.

This is the case in Europe, where there is a new wave of cases caused by Delta, abandonment of preventive measures and low vaccination rates in some countries.