Geneva: Omicron variant does not seem worse than other Coronavirus strains, top scientists from WHO and the United States told AFP, while warning that more research is needed to assess their severity.
A full assessment came when global worries grew on a very mutated variant, which forced dozens of countries to put back border restrictions and increased the likelihood of economic punished.
Although the possibility of more transmitted from the previous variant, Omicron was also “very impossible” to fully avoid the protection of vaccines, the calculation of the two world health organizations told AFP on Tuesday.
“Initial data does not show that this is worse Ryan also said there was no sign that Omicron could be completely exceeded the protection provided by existing Covid vaccines.
“We have a very effective vaccine that proved effective against all variants so far, in terms of severe disease and inpatient.
There is no reason to expect that it will not be so” for Omicron, he added, pointing to the initial data from the south of Africa, where The first strain was reported.
However, Ryan acknowledged that it was possible that the existing vaccine might prove to be less effective against Omicron, which counted more than 30 mutations in the surge protein which focused the surface of the Coronavirus and allows it to attack cells.
US Anthony Fauci scientists echoed whose view, said Omicron did not look worse than the previous strain based on the initial indication and it might be lighter.
The new variant “is clearly very transmitting,” very likely more than Delta, the dominant global tension at this time, Fauci told AFP.
“It’s almost certainly no worse than Delta,” he added.
“There are some suggestions that it might even be less severe.” But he noted, it was important not to interpret this data so that the population was followed by a young tilted and tended to be hospitalized.
Severe diseases can also take weeks to develop.
“Then when we get more infections around the world, it might take longer to see what the severity is.” – Global concern – detection of the first Omicron case last month to coincide with the surge in infection numbers around the world, and variants added fuel to worry about the revival of global covid.
As Minister of Health of the European Union met Tuesday to find a way to coordinate their response, Norway announced it would tighten restrictions to fight a surge in surge.
It followed the alleged Omicron outbreak last week between dozens of party visitors who were all vaccinated causing new restrictions in and around the capital Oslo.
Sweden neighbors also said Tuesday it would launch a series of anti-covid steps.
Elsewhere in Europe, Poland said from December 15, it would limit the number of people permitted in churches, restaurants and theaters, and made mandatory vaccination for health workers, teachers and military from March – while the initial assessment of Omicron helped raise mood Especially among the global markets because of fear of another economic decline that subsided, the appearance of the variant has highlighted that the war against a pandemic far from above.
Covid-19 has killed more than 5.2 million people worldwide since Coronavirus was first stated at the end of 2019, with scientists and health experts saying vaccination and continued social distance was the key to defeating this disease.
But vaccine requirements have caused resistance in many countries, both because of information errors and conspiracy theories or economic impacts and logistics of the mandate.
About 4,000 people protested in Brussels on Tuesday against the plan by the Belgian government to make mandatory vaccines for health workers from the beginning of next year.
“We support vaccination, but why is only a health worker?” said nurse perrine.
“Because everyone must be vaccinated, it’s everyone or not.”