New Delhi: World Health Organisation (WHO) warned risk related to Covid 19 variant Omicron ‘very high’, reported AFP on Monday (November 29).
The World Health Organization had earlier urged countries across the world not to impose travel bans on southern African countries due to the ongoing concerns over the new COVID-19 variant Omicron.
LIVE: Opening of the #WHASpecial with @DrTedros https://t.co/o1Xc5973Qk
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 29, 2021
The WHO’s statement further stated that South Africa followed International Health Regulations and as soon as its national laboratory identified the Omicron variant on November 24.
The WHO, on November 27, named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’.
This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.
Based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has advised the WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron, a statement said.
This is a developing story.
