The omicron variant of the coronavirus has again caused the alarm bells to ring.
– Omikron is spreading at a speed we have not seen with any of the previous variants, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last week.
In a short time, the variant has been detected in around 90 countries, of which a number of countries report record high infection rates and pressured hospitals. In countries where the new mutation has been detected, the number of omicron-infected people doubles every two or three days, according to the WHO.
The development makes the organization extra worried about the consequences of the upcoming Christmas celebration.
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– Cancel!
On Monday, the WHO therefore came with a clear appeal to people before the holiday, writes BBC.
– We are all tired of this pandemic. Everyone wants to spend time with friends and family. We all want to return to normal. The fastest way to do that is to make the difficult decisions we all need to protect ourselves and others, Tedros told a news conference on Monday.
He continued:
– In some cases, it will mean canceling or postponing plans and events. It is better to cancel now and celebrate later than to celebrate now and mourn later. A canceled event is better than a canceled life.
– Races through the world
Shuts down
There is still much that is uncertain about the omicron variant, including the effect of the vaccines and whether the more serious or milder course of the disease.
However, there is much to suggest that it infects more easily than previous virus variants. Barely three weeks after the United States registered its first omicron case, is the mutant dominant in the country. Last week, the variant accounted for as much as 73 percent of the new cases in the United States. This corresponds to a sixfold increase from the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Several European countries, including France and Germany, have recently introduced new measures and travel restrictions in an attempt to stop the spread of the new variant.
– Next month will be the worst
In the Netherlands, the government has introduced a comprehensive closure, which means that all non-essential shops, as well as restaurants, gyms and cinemas, must close. In addition, there will be stricter number restrictions in private homes.
Denmark, which has registered more than 18,000 micron cases, has also chosen to carry out a new and comprehensive shutdown.
