The risk represented in the world by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 remains "very high".

This is the warning launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its weekly epidemiological bulletin: "Reliable evidence shows that Omicron has a growth advantage over the Delta variant, with a capacity to double in two or three days", he adds. the organization noting that "there is a rapid increase in the incidence of cases in a certain number of countries".

"The rapid growth is probably linked to a combination between the loss of immunity and the intrinsic increase in transmissibility of the Omicron variant", states the WHO specifying that the most consistent increase in cases has occurred in our country but also in the States United States, United Kingdom and France. Comforting data, however, come from South Africa, the country that first reported this variant on November 24, where there is a 29% decrease in the incidence of cases.

More data would be needed, however, adds the WHO, to understand the severity represented by Omicron in terms of clinical markers, including oxygen use, mechanical ventilation and deaths. And also how this severity could be affected by a previous Covid-19 infection or vaccination. According to the WHO, in the week ending Sunday the total number of new cases increased by 11% compared to the previous one, while the number of deaths decreased by 4%: "This corresponds to just under 5 million new cases and more. 44,000 new deaths ".

(Unioneonline / D)

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