The Ômicron variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in 110 countries and continues to spread rapidly, doubling the number of cases in two to three days, reported today (24) the World Health Organization (WHO).
In an update of the technical brief on Ômicron, WHO said that, as of Wednesday (22), the new strain had been notified in 110 countries located in its six regions.
The organization reminds that the disease continues to spread exponentially. He adds that contagion rates, however, are falling in South Africa, the country where the new variant was initially detected, largely due to the decline in contagion rates in Gauteng province, where the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg are located.
Data from outbreaks of contagion in South Africa, the UK and Denmark indicate a lower risk of hospitalization in patients who have contracted Ômicron compared to those infected with Delta, says the WHO.
The organization notes, however, that understanding of this variant is evolving as more evidence becomes available, and so it analyzes the data with caution.
Other preliminary studies in several countries indicate reduced protection of vaccines, such as AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNtech, in relation to Ômicron, although in the case of the latter a booster dose seems to increase its effectiveness.
covid-19 has caused more than 5.37 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, notified in late 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China, and currently with variants identified in several countries.
The new Ômicron variant, classified as of concern by WHO, has been registered in southern Africa.
The Ômicron variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in 110 countries and continues to spread rapidly, doubling the number of cases in two to three days, reported today (24) the World Health Organization (WHO).
In an update of the technical brief on Ômicron, WHO said that, as of Wednesday (22), the new strain had been notified in 110 countries located in its six regions.
The organization reminds that the disease continues to spread exponentially. He adds that contagion rates, however, are falling in South Africa, the country where the new variant was initially detected, largely due to the decline in contagion rates in Gauteng province, where the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg are located.
Data from outbreaks of contagion in South Africa, the UK and Denmark indicate a lower risk of hospitalization in patients who have contracted Ômicron compared to those infected with Delta, says the WHO.
The organization notes, however, that understanding of this variant is evolving as more evidence becomes available, and so it analyzes the data with caution.
Other preliminary studies in several countries indicate reduced protection of vaccines, such as AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNtech, in relation to Ômicron, although in the case of the latter a booster dose seems to increase its effectiveness.
covid-19 has caused more than 5.37 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, notified in late 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China, and currently with variants identified in several countries.
The new Ômicron variant, classified as of concern by WHO, has been registered in southern Africa.
