Omicron coronavirus variant confirmed in 23 countries: WHO chief

The new Omicron coronavirus variant has been verified in 23 countries and their number is anticipated to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. 

 Speaking at a press briefing then, Tedros said the emergence of the Omicron variant has understandably captured global attention. 

“At least 23 countries from five of six WHO regions have now reported cases of Omicron and we anticipate that number to grow. WHO takes this development extremely seriously,”Tedros during a press conference. 

“WHO takes this development extremely seriously, and so should every country. But it shouldn’t surprise us. This is what contagions do. And it’s what this contagion will continue to do, as we long as we allow it to continue spreading,”he added. 

Tedros said that WHO is learning further all the time about Omicron, but there is still further to learn about its effect on transmission, the inflexibility of complaint, and the effectiveness of tests, rectifiers and vaccines. 

“Several WHO premonitory groups have met over the last couple of days to estimate the arising substantiation, and prioritise the studies demanded to answer these questions,”he added. 

 Before, the head of the UN health agency has blamed”blunt”and” mask” measures taken by countries in the once many days to stop the spread of the Omicron variant. 

 In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO Director-General said that it was”deeply concerning”that Botswana and South Africa, where the new variant was first linked, were” being punished by others for doing the right thing”. 

Dozens of countries have assessed trip bans on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered at the end of last week.