WHO: Omicron is especially Dangerous for the Unvaccinated

The Omicron variant is particularly dangerous for the unvaccinated, the World Health Organization has warned. According to the WHO, the global growth of those infected is due to Omicron, which is many times more contagious than the previous dominant strain - Delta, AFP reported.

More than 15 million cases of newly infected people were registered last week, and only as official data. It is estimated that there are millions more infected but unregistered cases.

"While Omicron does not cause as severe sickness as Delta, it remains a dangerous virus - especially for those who have not been vaccinated," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference. "The vast majority of people admitted to hospitals have not been vaccinated," he added.

Although vaccines remain very effective in preventing death and serious illness, they do not completely prevent transmission, the WHO chief said. "Faster transmission means more hospitalizations, more deaths, more unemployed people - including teachers and health workers - and a higher risk of another option that is even more transmissible and more deadly than Omicron. The death toll has stabilized at around 50,000 a week," Gebreyesus added.

The WHO plan included every country in the world to vaccinate at least 10 percent of its population by the end of September 2021, 40 percent by the end of December, and 70 percent by mid-2022.

But 90 countries have not yet reached 40 percent, and 36 of them have not yet reached the 10 percent mark, he said.

By January 6, Omicron had been identified in 149 countries around the world.

/BGNES

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