Omicron variant of COVID-19 is highly transmissible and created a fear amongst people across the world. The number daily tally of cases spiked in almost every country, although the symptoms were mild with lesser risk of death. On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the BA.2 variant of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus strain is not more severe than the original one.
According to a sample of people from different countries, "we are not seeing a difference in severity of BA.1 compared to BA.2," said Maria Van Kerkhove, a senior WHO official, in an online question and answer session. She also said, "So this is a similar level of severity as it relates to risk of hospitalisation. And this is really important, because in many countries they've had a substantial amount of circulation, both of BA.1 and BA.2."
Van Kerkhove, leader of the technical side of the WHO's Covid-19 response team, was reporting the results of a committee of experts constantly tracking the evolution of Coronavirus. Their findings can come as a relief to countries such as Denmark, where the BA.2 variant of concern 'Omicron' has spread widely. In a statement, the WHO said that the initial data suggests the new BA2 variant "appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1," and that there are other studies ongoing to know as to why this is the case.
"However the global circulation of all variants is reportedly declining," the statement added. Coronavirus has caused fatalities in more than 5.8 million people worldwide, as per an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Tuesday. Taking the higher mortality rate linked to Covid-19 into account, the WHO estimates the actual death toll could be two to three times higher. It is important to follow Covid appropriate behaviour even if the pandemic situation has started to ease down a bit. Wear masks, sanitize frequently and follow social distancing at all times.
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