Coronavirus

Omicron: Don’t Panic, Be Cautious, WHO Chief Scientist Urges People

By
OB Bureau

Geneva: The chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), Soumya Swaminathan urged people on Friday to not panic over the emergence of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 and said it was too early to say if vaccines would need to be reworked.

Swaminathan said during an interview at the Reuters Next conference that it’s not possible to predict if Omicron would be a dominant strain.

Omicron has already been found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe and has spread in seven of the nine South African provinces, where it was first identified. Several governments have put travel restrictions in place to keep the variant out.

According to Swaminathan, Omicron “was highly transmissible”.

“How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we’re in a different situation to a year ago,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“Delta accounts for 99% of infections around the world. This variant would have to be more transmissible to out-compete and become dominant worldwide. It is possible, but it’s not possible to predict,” she said.

The WHO said on Friday that the Omicron variant has so far been found in 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the WHO said on Friday

“We need to wait, let’s hope it’s milder… but it’s too early to conclude about the variant as a whole,” the chief scientist said.

ALSO READ: Be Ready For Omicron-Driven Surge In Infections: WHO Warns Asia-Pacific

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

‘No Notification Exists’: HC Closes Plea Against 1988 Ban On Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has closed proceedings on a petition challenging the Rajiv…

November 7, 2024

Criticised For Touching His Wife’s Feet, Vikrant Massey Gives It Back To Trollers

Mumbai: ‘12th Fail’ actor Vikrant Massey recently got trolled after pictures of him touching his…

November 7, 2024

Threat Call: Was Shah Rukh Khan Targeted For His Deer-Hunting Dialogue In ‘Anjaam’?

Mumbai: Mumbai Police swung into action immediately after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received a…

November 7, 2024

[Watch] Snowfall In Desert For The First Time!

Dubai: The effects of global climate change are being seen in various manifestations across the globe.…

November 7, 2024

Police Case Against Websites Selling T-Shirts With Photos Of Dawood, Bishnoi

Mumbai: When criminals are idolised and used for commercial purposes, police are bound to take action.…

November 7, 2024

11 Years After Criminal’s Murder In Bomb Explosion, Court In Odisha Sentences 11 Accused To Life

Berhampur: The Ganjam district and sessions court here on Thursday sentenced 11 persons to life…

November 7, 2024

Astronaut Sunita Williams’ Health Deteriorates Due To Extended Stay In Space

New York: Recent pictures of Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore from the International Space…

November 7, 2024

India Calls Out Canada’s ‘Hypocrisy’ For Blocking Australian Media Outlet After Jaishankar Interview

New Delhi: Bilateral relations having hit an all-time low since Justin Trudeau’s accusation of Indian involvement…

November 7, 2024