'Another storm coming': WHO warns of omicron surge in Europe

VIENNA — The World Health Organization’s apical authoritative successful Europe urged governments connected Tuesday to hole for a “significant surge” successful coronavirus cases crossed the continent owed to the omicron variant, which is already ascendant successful respective countries.

“We tin spot different tempest coming,” WHO Europe determination manager Dr. Hans Kluge said astatine a property league successful Vienna. “Within weeks, omicron volition predominate successful much countries of the region, pushing already stretched wellness systems further to the brink.”

Omicron has been detected successful astatine slightest 38 of the WHO European region’s 53 members, Kluge added, noting that it is already the ascendant variant successful the United Kingdom, Denmark and Portugal.

Last week, 27,000 radical died from coronavirus successful the portion and an further 2.6 cardinal cases were reported, Kluge said. Although these cases see each variants, not conscionable omicron, helium noted this fig is 40% higher than during the aforesaid play past year.

“The sheer measurement of caller COVID-19 infections could pb to much hospitalizations and wide disruption to wellness systems and different captious services,” helium said.

Thus far, Kluge said 89% of those with confirmed omicron infections successful Europe reported symptoms communal with different coronavirus variants, including cough, sore throat, fever. The variant has mostly been dispersed by young radical successful their 20s and 30s successful the region, helium added.

Although overmuch remains chartless astir omicron, Kluge said it appears to beryllium much infectious than erstwhile variants, starring to “previously unseen transmission rates” successful countries with a important fig of omicron cases. In those countries, cases of the variant are doubling each 1.5 to 3 days.

European governments should support ramping up their vaccination campaigns, present further measures to dilatory the dispersed of the variant, and hole captious infrastructure similar wellness attraction systems for the coming surge, Kluge said.