The omicron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus has now been detected in 110 countries and continues to spread exponentially, with cases doubling in communities where it is transmitted in a matter of two to three days, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.
In its technical report update on the omicron variant, WHO noted that infection rates are declining in one of the South African provinces where it was first detected.
Data from outbreaks in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Denmark seem to suggest a lower risk of hospitalization in patients contracting the omicron variant compared to Delta, although WHO takes these data with caution.
As of 23 December 2021, the ##COVID19 Omicron variant had been identified in 110 countries.
In several countries where there is evidence of widespread local transmission, the Omicron variant has become dominant.
��https://t.co/2qN4jHHrnF https://t.co/Vbh5byKh0N— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 24, 2021
Other preliminary studies in different countries indicate a reduction in the protection of vaccines such as AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNtech against the Omicron variant, although in the case of the latter a booster dose seems to increase its efficacy.
