Covid 19 Omicron variant dey spread at a rate wey no dey ordinary – WHO

Health worker fill up syringe with Covid vaccine dose FOR Johannesburg on December 8, 2021.

AFP
Na South Africa first identify di Omicron variant

Di new coronavirus variant Omicron dey spread across di globe at a rate wey no dey ordinary, di World Health Organization (WHO) don warn.

Cases of di heavily mutated variant don dey confamed in 77 kontries.

But for one press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus say e fit even dey for many odas wey never detect am yet.

Dr Tedros say e dey concerned say dem no dey do enough to tackle di variant.

“Surely, we don learn by now say we dey underestimate dis virus at our own risk. Even if Omicron cause less serious disease, di number of cases fit once again too much for health systems wey no dey prepared,” e tok.

Dem first identify di Omicron variant for South Africa for November, and di kontri since de don record increase in infections. President Cyril Ramaphosa test positive to Covid -19 and dey currently isolate wit small symptoms.

Some kontries don introduce travel bans wey affect South Africa and e neighbours afta Omicron show, but e no fail to stop am from spreading around di world.

In oda developments

  • More dan 800,000 Americans now don die from di coronavirus – di highest recorded national death toll from di global pandemic
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson win backing for Covid pass for England, despite revolt by members of im party since e become PM
  • UK goment also announce on Tuesday say dem go take off all 11 kontries on dia travel red list as Health Secretary Sajid Javid say di Omicron variant don spread so widely and di rules no longer get much purpose.
  • Italy don extend a state of emergency until 31 March 2022, dem cite concerns over Omicron. Di measures, wey suppose to expire for di end of December, give di goment more power to limit travel and public gatherings
  • Netherlands say dem go close primary schools one week before di Christmas holidays suppose start, in order to fight infections
  • Norway don announce ban on serving alcohol inside bars and restaurants, among oda measures

For di press conference on Tuesday, Dr Tedros tok again about concerns about say vaccine no dey go round equally, as some kontries dey speed up di rollout of booster shot in response to Omicron.

Recent studies of di Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine show say dem don produce fewer neutralising antibodies against Omicron dan against di original strain, but say dis gap fit dey reversed with a third, booster, jab.

Dr Tedros say boosters “fit play an important role” to stop di spread of Covid-19, but say na “a question of prioritisation”.

“Di order mata. To give boosters to groups wey dey at low risk of serious disease or death go simply endanger di lives of those wey dey at high risk wey still dey wait for dia primary doses because of supply issues,” e tok.

Supplies to di global vaccine-sharing programme Covax don increase in recent months.

However, world health officials dey fear say shortfall of tens of millions of doses – like di one wey hapun for di middle of dis year wen India suspend dia vaccine exports -fit hapen again.

For poorer kontries, some vulnerable pipo never still receive a single dose.