World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over. A report quoted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying, “This pandemic is nowhere near over.”
Moreover, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also questioned the concerns over low vaccination rates in some countries. He warned people regarding the fast-spreading Omicron variant is risky.
“Omicron continues to sweep the world. I remain concerned about countries with low vaccination rates, as unvaccinated people are many times more at risk of severe illness and death,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet.
“I urge everyone to do their best to reduce risk of infection and help take pressure off health systems,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned against dismissing the infection due to the new variant Omicron as mild. Like a wildfire the omicron variant of coronavirus has spread across the world since it was first detected in South Africa. It is said that this variant is much more infectious than the previous strains of COVID-19 but seems to cause a less serious disease.
Omicron continues to sweep the 🌍. I remain concerned about countries with low vaccination rates, as unvaccinated people are many times more at risk of severe illness & death. I urge everyone to do their best to reduce risk of infection & help take pressure off health systems. pic.twitter.com/CymL7Vxvel
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 18, 2022
Amid the exponential spike in the Omicron cases across the world, the WHO cautioned that the absolute number of people infected will mean many people are still falling seriously ill and dying.
“Omicron may be less severe, on average, but the narrative that it is a mild disease is misleading,” Tedros said.
“Make no mistake: Omicron is causing hospitalisations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities,” Tedros was quoted as saying.
Tedros said there were indications that the Omicron-fuelled surge of Covid cases may have peaked in some countries. “Now is not the time to give up and wave the white flag,” he said.
Tedros said there was an urgent need to remove the pressure building on health systems, especially in countries that still have low vaccination coverage.
“We can still significantly reduce the impact of the current wave by sharing and using health tools effectively, and implementing public health and social measures that we know work,” Tedros said.