Shouldn't dismiss Omicron as 'mild', warns WHO official as variant spreads rapidly

The WHO official stressed that the overall threat posed by the new variant of concern depends on the transmissibility, immune escape ability and virulence of the strain.

The cases of the Omicron strain should not be dismissed as mild as it appears to be spreading faster than any other variants of concern, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thursday. In an interview with news agency ANI, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, cautioned about the virulence of the Omicron variant that is rapidly spreading across the world, causing concern for health authorities.

The WHO official said it will take “a few more weeks” to fully assess the efficacy of Covid vaccines against Omicron.

"Based on the current limited evidence, Omicron appears to be spreading faster at a rate not seen with any other previous variant. Emerging data from South Africa suggest an increased risk of re-infection with Omicron, but more data are needed to draw firmer conclusions,” ANI quoted Dr Singh as saying.

The WHO official stressed that the overall threat posed by the new variant of concern depends on the transmissibility, immune escape ability and virulence of the strain. She said there are still limited data on the clinical severity associated with Omicron and more information is required to fully understand the clinical scenario of those infected with the variant of concern first detected in South Africa.

"We should not dismiss Omicron as mild. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm health systems," the WHO official added.

A similar concern was raised by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week when he confirmed the first death in the UK due to Omicron. Amid reports of the new variant of concern causing mild disease as compared to the Delta strain, Johnson said the “idea” of Omicron being the “milder version” should be set aside and focus should be on the transmissibility of the variant.

"So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus - I think that's something we need to set on one side - and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population," Johnson told reporters.

Citing preliminary data, Dr Singh said the vaccines may have reduced effectiveness against Omicron, but added that it will take “a few more weeks” to fully assess the efficacy of Covid vaccines against the new variant of concern. She reminded that vaccines alone won’t help countries come out of the pandemic and other proven public health and social measures must be followed.

"The risk of Covid-19 remains high globally and the emergence of variants is a reminder that the pandemic is far from over,” she said, as quoted by ANI.

(With agency inputs)