Over half of Europe's population could be infected with Omicron in 6-8 weeks: WHO

 

Europe - Omicron

World Health Organization (WHO) regional director Hans Kluge on Tuesday said that more than 50% of the European population can get infected by the new variant of Covid-19, Omicron, in the next six-eight weeks.

Kluge informed reporters in Denmark that more than seven million Covid-19 cases were seen in the European Region in the first week of 2022. The Covid-19 hospitalisation rate for unvaccinated people in Denmark was six times higher than for those who were fully vaccinated in the week over Christmas. Reportedly, the number of infections doubled in just two weeks. He urged nations to strengthen mask rules. He also said, “We will see more severe disease in the unvaccinated.” He added that vaccination is beneficial to provide good protection against Omicron and other variants of Covid-19.

Omicron variant spreading into the Balkans

According to Hans Kluge, the Omicron variant, now spreading into the Balkans, is already present in 50 of the 53 countries in the region spanning Europe and Central Asia. He called on countries not yet affected by the Covid-19 surge to use high-quality masks. He also requested people to stay indoors. He added, “The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that more than 50 per cent of the population in the region will be infected with the Omicron variant in the next six to eight weeks.

According to CNN, Kluge acknowledged that the new variant will continue to infect large numbers of people. He warned that schools may be unable to keep all classes open all the time because of the lack of staff.

Reportedly, Eastern European countries have some of the lowest vaccination rates. Covid-19 cases increased rapidly during the winter. Some countries like Austria, Greece, and Italy announced new restrictions to curb the further spread of Covid-19. European and Central Asian countries remained under "intense pressure" due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks.

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