End of Covid pandemic ‘plausible,’ WHO claims
The Omicron variant is leading to a “period of quiet” and a possible end to the pandemic in Europe, health officials say
The World Health Organization (WHO) claimed on Sunday that there might finally be an end to the Covid pandemic in Europe, after the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
“It is plausible that the region is approaching an end to the pandemic,” Regional Director Hans Kluge told the AFP news agency.
He cautioned that people should still take precautions, due to the coronavirus’ ability to mutate, but predicted a “period of quiet” following Omicron.
“We anticipate there will be a level of quiet before Covid-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic,” he said.
Kluge said a level of “global immunity” could be reached for a period of weeks or months because of a combination of the relatively high number of current infections, continued vaccination uptake, and the “lowering seasonality” aspect of the forthcoming Northern Hemisphere spring.
The WHO’s Europe region, which covers 53 countries and territories, has seen a spike in Omicron cases, like much of the world. In the week ending January 18, the percentage of new infections from Omicron more than doubled, from 6.3% to 15%, according to health officials.
The WHO said earlier this month that more than half the population of Europe could test positive for the newest variant in a matter of months, describing the contagion as a “new west to east tidal wave.”
WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has made it clear that the pandemic is “nowhere near over,” however. Speaking last week, he said Omicron had led to 18 million new infections across the globe over the course of just seven days, with numerous European countries seeing significant rises in case numbers as a result.
“Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities,” he said.
“It is plausible that the region is approaching an end to the pandemic,” Regional Director Hans Kluge told the AFP news agency.
He cautioned that people should still take precautions, due to the coronavirus’ ability to mutate, but predicted a “period of quiet” following Omicron.
“We anticipate there will be a level of quiet before Covid-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic,” he said.
Kluge said a level of “global immunity” could be reached for a period of weeks or months because of a combination of the relatively high number of current infections, continued vaccination uptake, and the “lowering seasonality” aspect of the forthcoming Northern Hemisphere spring.
The WHO’s Europe region, which covers 53 countries and territories, has seen a spike in Omicron cases, like much of the world. In the week ending January 18, the percentage of new infections from Omicron more than doubled, from 6.3% to 15%, according to health officials.
The WHO said earlier this month that more than half the population of Europe could test positive for the newest variant in a matter of months, describing the contagion as a “new west to east tidal wave.”
WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has made it clear that the pandemic is “nowhere near over,” however. Speaking last week, he said Omicron had led to 18 million new infections across the globe over the course of just seven days, with numerous European countries seeing significant rises in case numbers as a result.
“Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities,” he said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
