The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19 appears to be more contagious, but causes milder symptoms compared to Delta.
“Preliminary data from South Africa suggest that the risk of re-infection is higher with Omicron, but more data is needed to draw safer conclusions. “There is also evidence to suggest that Omicron is causing less severe symptoms compared to Delta, but even here it is too early to be sure,” Tentros Ananom Gebregesous told reporters in Geneva.
In order to have a more accurate picture of the characteristics of this variant faster, the Director-General of the WHO asked all countries to contribute, submitting data to the Agency. To better combat Omicron, he also called on all countries to continue their efforts to vaccinate and adhere to measures (distances, use of masks, restriction of social contacts, etc.).
WHO chief scientist Dr. Sumia Swaminathan also referred to preliminary studies published in recent days, which suggest that the Omicron variant makes the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine less effective. “I think it is premature to conclude ‘that a reduction in neutralizing antibodies” will lead to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine. “We do not know this,” Swaminathan said, adding that a concerted, global research effort is needed to prevent arbitrary conclusions.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
