Seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of Omicron, and the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries

The discovery of the Omicron variant was first announced in November by scientists in South Africa. This happened after a surge in COVID-19 was revealed to be the new variant.

“Seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of Omicron, and the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet,” WHO Chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a media briefing in Geneva.

“Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant,” he added.

The WHO chief let it be known that Omicron is not a ‘mild variant’, so people must take the necessary precaution not to be afflicted by it.

“Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” he said.

Already, several Western European countries have imposed travel restrictions on a number of southern African countries in response to the discovery of Omicron. Although President Joe Biden said there should not be panic, the announcement of the new variant triggered panic that it could cause yet another surge in global COVID-19 infections.

The WHO chief noted that the UN health agency will support in the supply of COVID-19 vaccine boosters, and added that there must be vaccine equity in such support. This way, no nation is left behind.

“Let me be very clear: WHO is not against boosters. We’re against inequity. Our main concern is to save lives, everywhere. It’s really quite simple; the priority in every country, and globally, must be to protect the least protected, not the most protected,” he said.

The WHO chief revealed that the discovery of Omicron has made some advanced nations initiate their COVID-19 booster programmes for their entire adult populations without certifying whether such a booster dose will be effective against the strain.

“WHO is concerned that such programmes will repeat the COVID-19 vaccine hoarding we saw this year, and exacerbate inequity. It’s clear that as we move forward, boosters could play an important role, especially for those at highest risk of severe disease death,” he said.

“If we end inequity, we end the pandemic. If we allow inequity to continue, we allow the pandemic to continue,” Tedros warned.