Omicron Covid variant poses ‘very high’ global risk, says WHO

UN agency urges acceleration of vaccination of high-priority groups to tackle spread of variant

The Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid-19 surges could have “severe consequences” in some areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The UN agency, in technical advice to its 194 member states, urged them to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups and ensure mitigation plans are in place” to maintain essential health services.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus | The Guardian

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coronavirus live news: South Africa tightens restrictions; Italy mask-free from today

South Africa re-introduces curfew, alcohol ban; all of Italy mask free and low risk from Monday; Australia’s Covid response team holds urgent meeting amid outbreak South Africa tightens Covid rules as ‘devastating wave’ gathers pace UK military chiefs self-isolate after head of army catches Covid Delta Covid variant may be edging race against vaccines US fight against Covid threatened by growing vaccine gap in the south See all our coronavirus coverage 6.36am BST All of Italy became a mask-free, “low-risk” zone for coronavirus Monday, marking a dramatic milestone for the first European country to be hit by the global pandemic in February 2020, AFP reports. In a decree that took effect Monday, the health ministry for the first time classified each of Italy’s 20 regions as “white”, signifying low risk, under the country’s colour-coded classification system that evaluates Covid-19 risk. 6.20am BST Authorities in South Africa have imposed new restrictions in a last ditch attem...
Read more

As Australian I’m lucky that I got my first jab. I’m confounded why luck had to come into it | Van Badham

Is Australia really in the grip of ‘vaccine hesitancy’, or is the national affliction ‘government vaccine failure’? I got my coronavirus vaccine last week. I celebrated at a favourite burger joint, slurping a milkshake as big as my head and dancing around the table to Daft Punk, even as news broke that an outbreak in my home state of Victoria foreshadowed another lockdown. Even as my needled arm began to gently throb. Missing a childhood measles vaccine almost killed me ; it’s now unlikely coronavirus will have that chance. I woke up the next day with a warned-of hazy brain, a little nausea and a strong feeling I may need to gnaw my aching arm from a bear trap. Mostly, however, I felt relieved – as if the one decision I made to try my luck with eligibility, book an appointment and hop to the pop-up clinic at my local Mercure has negated a lifetime of more – ahem – questionable self-care choices. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian
Read more

UK’s aid cuts hit vital coronavirus research around world

Leading UK expert says loss of funding certain to damage attempts to tackle virus and variants Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Vital coronavirus research, including a project tracking variants in India, has had its funding reduced by up to 70% under swingeing cuts to the UK overseas aid budget. One of Britain’s leading infectious disease experts said the UK government cuts were certain to damage attempts to tackle the virus and track new variants. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian
Read more