Thanks to the current level of vaccination and the lower severity of Omicron, Europe sees a respite comparable to a “ceasefire” that could lead to the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
“The pandemic is not over but we are in the only situation where we can take control and we must not miss this opportunity,” said Hans Klugge, WHO regional director. in an online press conference.
Continuing to use transport, he added: “This period of greater protection must be seen as a ‘ceasefire’ that could bring us lasting peace.” It is a combination of the protection provided by the vaccines, the end of winter and the less dangerous Omicron variant.
However, the truce will only last as long as vaccination campaigns and surveillance for new variants continue, the official said, as many European countries are easing restrictions on the pandemic.
As for the new variants “that will inevitably appear”, “it is possible to respond” without reusing “the kind of annoying measures we had previously needed”, Kluge said.
In the WHO Europe region of 53 countries, some of which are in Central Asia, infections rose sharply when the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus began to dominate, but the health situation is considered to be less worrying.
Nearly 12 million new cases were reported last week, the largest number since the pandemic began two years ago, according to WHO regional figures.
The regional department of the WHO for Europe today called on health authorities to focus efforts on protecting the most vulnerable populations.
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