WHO says South Africa’s hospitalizations are increasing and the severity of Omicron is unknown

Hospitalizations are increasing across South Africa, but it is still premature to know if Omicron variants are causing the increase in severity. COVID-19 According to the World Health Organization, the case.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Covid technical lead, said Wednesday that some patients infected with Omicron had mild symptoms, but there are reports of cases where the disease becomes more severe. According to Van Kerkov, hospitalizations may be increasing due to the general increase in cases of Covid, not necessarily because Omicron is more deadly.

In the latest information in Geneva, Van Kerkov told reporters, “For severity, we will look at hospitalizations, look at inpatients, and whether or not this mutation is in progress. There is research. ” “We also have photos of some cases detected in other countries.”

WHO has identified cases of Omicron so far in 23 countries on Wednesday, up from 18 countries just two days ago, and the number is expected to increase in the coming days and weeks. I reported. The United States has not yet detected this variant, but White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is only a matter of time before Omicron is sequenced in the United States.

Van Kerkhove said there were early signs that Omicron was more infectious and that WHO expects to get more information about the subspecies’ infectivity within a few days.

“One of the scenarios is certainly that the virus can continue to evolve, but it can still have fitness benefits, which means it can be more susceptible to infection than Delta,” she says. “But we’re still not sure about its severity,” Van Kerkhove noted, pointing out that the reported Covid cases have a “surveillance bias” that can cloud early data.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Pfizer’s board member and former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, told CNBC Wednesday that there was a surge in the minidelta in South Africa and another variant, C.1.2, was rising. Efforts to clarify the transmission and pathogenicity of Omicron.

Modena CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC on Monday that Omicron’s symptoms reported in South Africa have a much younger and healthier population than European countries and the United States, so subspecies in other parts of the world. He said it may not be a good predictor of the pathogenicity of the species. Older people are usually at higher risk of developing severe Covid than younger people.

Wankelhoff said on Wednesday that the public health measures used to combat the currently predominant variant of Delta should be strengthened to combat Omicron.

“It does not mean a blockade, it means using proven public health and social means,” Wankelkov said. WHO Recommended last week Regardless of vaccination status, people wear masks and are socially distant.

WHO Executive Secretary Tedros Adhanom Gebreyes advised countries on Wednesday to impose a “total travel ban”, which would not hinder the spread of Omicron and would be a significant financial burden on the target countries. I warned that I would call. After South Africa warned the world about Omicron, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom restricted travel from South African countries. Botswana said Friday that it was the first to detect four foreign variants that entered the country on November 7 with a diplomatic mission as part of regular Covid surveillance.

“Thanks to Botswana and South Africa for detecting, sequencing and reporting this variant very quickly,” Tedros said. “It is a deep concern for me that these countries are being punished by other countries for doing the right thing.”

Van Kerkhove said imposing a travel ban on countries reporting new variants to the international community could hesitate to share important information in the future.

“If countries feel punished for recording that information, that’s of course a concern for us,” she said. “We frankly rely on this information.”

WHO will meet on December 6 to discuss how well innate and vaccine-induced immunity, including the Omicron mutant, withstand Covid. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist, said the world’s primary goal is to ensure that as many people as possible, especially vulnerable people, receive their first vaccination.

“Every country still has a vulnerable population that has not been vaccinated for some reason,” Swami Nasan said. “Of course, there are many low-income countries where it didn’t happen because of lack of supplies.”

Wealthy countries, such as the United States, are beginning to roll out booster doses to the general public as vaccine efficacy diminishes over time. It is a source of international controversy, as many people in poor countries have very restricted access to vaccines.