On Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced that the subvariant derived from Omicron, which studies indicate spreads faster than the original, and referred to as "stealth Omicron" or "phantom," has been detected in 57 countries. The Director-General of WHO warned that it is too early for countries to declare victory over the COVID-19 pandemic or to stop efforts to combat the spread of the virus.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during a press conference: "It is premature for any country to surrender or declare victory," expressing concern over rising death tolls in most regions of the world. His call for caution comes as some countries plan to resume normal life entirely. Denmark took this step on Tuesday, despite record levels of COVID-19 infections, believing it can proceed due to a wide vaccination coverage and the fact that the Omicron variant is less severe than its predecessors.
"The transmission of the virus means more deaths."
The Director-General confirmed that "greater transmission means more deaths." The fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus has become predominant worldwide since it was first detected in South Africa 10 weeks ago. Mike Ryan, the WHO's Chief Emergency Expert, urged countries during the same briefing to chart their own path out of the pandemic and not to blindly follow others in easing restrictions. He said: "I believe we are in a transition phase for many countries, and not all countries are in the same situation. Those countries making wider opening decisions also need to ensure they can reimpose measures if necessary, with community acceptance. Thus, if we open doors quickly, we should also be able to close them quickly."
In the weekly epidemiological update, the WHO stated that Omicron variants represent over 93% of all coronavirus samples collected last month, branching into several lineages, namely "BA.1," "BA.1.1," "BA.2," and "BA.3." They added that "BA.1" and "BA.1.1," the first two identified versions, account for 96% of all Omicron variants uploaded to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). However, there has been a notable rise in infections associated with the "BA.2" lineage, which has undergone several mutations differing from the original, including the spike protein on the virus's surface that plays a crucial role in allowing the virus to enter human cells.
The WHO revealed that "lineages identified as BA.2 have been reported to the GISAID from 57 countries so far," adding that in some nations, the subvariant constitutes over half of the collected Omicron strains.
The need for more studies
The UN agency indicated that little is currently known about the differences between the subvariants and called for studies to evaluate their characteristics, including transmissibility and ability to evade the immune system. Since the detection of the Omicron variant about 10 weeks ago, the WHO has reported approximately 90 million new infections.
The Director-General expressed concern over entrenched statements in some countries suggesting that because of vaccines and the fact that Omicron is more transmissible and less severe, it will not be possible to prevent transmission. However, he stressed that this is far from the truth, reiterating that "this virus is dangerous" in a message he has consistently repeated since the emergence of the Omicron variant.
He continued: "We are not asking any country to reimpose lockdowns. But we call on all countries to protect their populations by using all available tools, not just vaccines." The Director-General warned that the virus will continue to evolve, urging countries to maintain testing, monitor the virus, and map its genetic code, emphasizing that "we cannot fight this virus when we do not know how it behaves."
He also remarked that if the virus continues to evolve, "vaccines must also evolve."
Limited information
Recent studies have found that "BA.2" spreads faster than the original Omicron variant. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's senior COVID expert, told journalists that information about the subvariant is very limited, but some preliminary data suggest that "BA.2" has "a slight increase in growth rate compared to BA.1."
Overall, Omicron causes milder illness than earlier strains of the coronavirus, such as Delta, and Van Kerkhove noted that "there is currently no indication of a change in severity" in the "BA.2" subvariant. She emphasized that regardless of the strain, COVID remains a serious illness and people should strive to avoid infection. She stated: "We want people to be aware that this virus continues to spread and evolve," adding, "It is really important that we take measures to reduce our exposure to this virus, regardless of the variant that is circulating."
The coronavirus has caused over 5.66 million deaths globally since it emerged in China in December 2019. The US has recorded the highest number of deaths (884,260), followed by Brazil (626,854) and India (495,050). In the last seven days, the Europe region has reported the highest number of infections this year (11.58 million), accounting for 50% of global infections, as well as the highest number of deaths (22,597), representing 34% of global deaths. The WHO estimates that the total death count could be two to three times higher, considering excess deaths directly and indirectly related to COVID-19.
