Ômicron spreads faster and vaccines seem less effective, says WHO

The omicron variant of Covid-19 seems to spread more than the delta, with milder symptoms, bypassing the action of vaccines, said this Sunday (12) the WHO (World Health Organization), which highlighted that these data are preliminary.

Omicron was present in 63 countries as of December 9, according to WHO in a technical update that confirms statements made by its staff in recent days.

According to the WHO, omicron appears to spread faster than the delta variant, which so far is responsible for most infections in the world.

This faster advance is not unique to South Africa, where delta is less prevalent, but also in the United Kingdom, where this strain is dominant.

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

WHO estimates that “omicron must surpass delta in places where there is community transmission”.

Data are still insufficient to establish the level of severity of the clinical picture caused by omicrons, even though the symptoms so far seem to be “mild to moderate” both in southern Africa and in Europe.

Regarding vaccines, the limited data available lead to believe that the genetic profile of omicron “reduces the effectiveness in relation to protection from contagion”.

Manufacturer Pfizer/BioNTech indicated last week that a three-dose vaccination schedule is still “effective” against omicron.

Countries that have the resources are encouraging the population to take the third dose.

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