UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : WHO COVID-19

As scientists race to understand how virulent and transmissible the new Omicron COVID-19 variant is, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) once again urged caution on Tuesday, with a reminder of the available precautions that should be used to stop the virus from spreading further.

“As we don't have any full picture of this variant, as long as we don't know how well the existing vaccines are working…we need to use the measures that we know work,” said Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson, during a scheduled briefing in Geneva.

These measures include “mask-wearing whenever possible and advisable as long as you are not in a room with more than one person, ventilating a room if possible, as often as possible, keeping the normal hand and body hygiene...We know these measures work”.

The WHO’s message comes as reports indicated potential concern among one pharmaceutical manufacturer that existing vaccines may not be as effective against the new variant as previous iterations, such as the Delta variant.

Mr. Lindmeier said that more time was needed to reach a conclusion on the Omicron variant: “There might be higher transmissibility, according to initial reports,” he said, “hence we're deeply looking. We still need a couple of weeks to get the details together and to know exactly what we're dealing with.”

On Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed a special three-day meeting of the organisation’s governing body in Geneva, warning that the world shouldn’t need another “wake-up call” about the dangers of COVID-19 before deciding to act to prevent further pandemics.

“Omicron’s very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with COVID-19, it is not done with us,” he said.

“We are living through a cycle of panic and neglect. Hard-won gains could vanish in an instant. Our most immediate task, therefore, is to end this pandemic.”

Reinforcing Tedros’s message, Mr Lindmeier pointed out that “Omicron is not the only variant out there, it's now high on the agenda of interest. Let's not forget there is Delta out there. There is a COVID-19 pandemic, even without the Omicron variant”.

Despite concerns that existing vaccines may not be as effective against Omicron, the WHO spokesman reiterated that a “high vaccination rate in the population works, we know that. The emergency rooms...are full of people with the most percentage unvaccinated. The most severe diseases and the most severe outcome until death is most often in those unvaccinated, and that's of high importance.”

Mr. Lindmeier also stressed that it should not be forgotten that life-saving operations “are being postponed for months for people who urgently need them because of full emergency wards and hospitals. Let's use all the measures we have right now until we know more.”

ENDS

WHO COVID-19 - Omicron Comment

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