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“This pandemic is far from over,” Tedross told reporters at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva.
“The omicron may be less severe, but the narrative that it is a mild illness is misleading,” he said.
“Make no mistake – the omicron is causing hospitalization and death, and less severe cases are flooding health facilities.”
There are indications that the culmination of the increase in Covid-19 cases, fueled by the spread of omicrons, has already been overcome in some countries, he said.
It “gives hope that the worst in this wave is behind us, but no country is out of danger,” the WHO chief said.
There is an urgent need to reduce the pressures on health systems, especially in countries with low vaccination coverage.
“We can still significantly reduce the impact of the current wave by sharing health instruments and using them effectively, and by implementing public health and social measures that we know work.”
Health experts warn that with the widespread use of Covid-19 in some regions, new, more dangerous strains of the virus are at risk.
“With the global proliferation of omicrons, new varieties are likely to emerge,” Tedros warned.
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