WHO says Omicron version isn't more dangerous than the original strain
Key Takeaways:
- According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron coronavirus strain BA.2 is not more dangerous than the original.
- Their findings will be appreciated in countries like Denmark, where the BA.2 variant of Omicron is commonly used.
- If excess mortality connected with Covid-19 is taken into account, the WHO believes the true death toll might be two to three times higher.
As per the World Health Organization, the BA.2 variation of the Omicron coronavirus strain is not more severe than the original.
"We are not finding a difference in the severity of BA.1 relative to BA.2," Maria Van Kerkhove, a senior WHO official, stated in an online question and answered session based on a sample of individuals from various nations.
"As far as the danger of hospitalization is concerned, this is a similar level of severity. And this is critical since both BA.1 and BA.2 have had a lot of circulation in various countries, "she stated.
Van Kerkhove, who heads the WHO's Covid-19 response team's technical side, was reporting the conclusions of a committee of specialists studying the virus's progress.
Their findings will be welcomed in nations like Denmark, where the BA.2 form of Omicron has been widely distributed.
In a statement, the WHO noted that preliminary evidence shows the new BA2 type "appears intrinsically more transmissible than BA.1," and that further research is being done to figure out why.
"However, all variations' global circulation is allegedly diminishing," it noted.
According to an AFP calculation obtained from official sources on Tuesday, the coronavirus has killed more than 5.8 million people globally.
The WHO thinks that the real death toll might be two to three times greater if extra mortality associated with Covid-19 is taken into consideration.