WHO says measures against delta work for omicron variant too

MANILA – World Health Organization officials successful the Western Pacific accidental borderline closures adopted by immoderate countries whitethorn bargain clip to woody with the omicron coronavirus variant, but measures enactment successful spot and acquisition gained successful dealing with the delta variant should stay the instauration for warring the pandemic.

While a fewer determination countries are facing surges, COVID-19 cases and deaths successful galore others person decreased and plateaued, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai told reporters Friday successful a virtual quality league broadcast from Manila, Philippines.

“Border power tin hold the microorganism coming successful and bargain time. But each state and each assemblage indispensable hole for caller surges successful cases," Kasai said. “The affirmative quality successful each of this is that nary of the accusation we person presently astir omicron suggests we request to alteration the directions of our response."

Much remains chartless astir the caller variant, including whether it is much contagious, arsenic immoderate wellness authorities suspect, oregon if it makes radical much earnestly ill, and whether it tin thwart the vaccine.

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Kasai said omicron has been designated a variant of interest due to the fact that of the fig of mutations and due to the fact that aboriginal accusation suggests it whitethorn beryllium much transmissible than different variants of the virus. More investigating and reflection is necessary, helium said.

Thus far, 4 countries and regions successful the Western Pacific — Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea — person reported cases of the omicron variant, said WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure. That fig is apt to spell up arsenic much cases are discovered globally, Olowokure said.

India, Singapore and Malaysia person besides reported their archetypal cases successful the past 24 hours.

“In presumption of what countries should beryllium doing now, our experiences implicit the past fewer years, particularly successful responding to delta, provides a usher of what we request to do, arsenic good arsenic however to header with aboriginal surges successful a much sustainable way," helium said.

Those see afloat vaccination coverage, societal distancing, disguise wearing and different measures. Those tin past beryllium calibrated successful effect to the section context, Olowokure said.

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The extremity is to “ensure we are treating the close patients successful the close spot astatine the close time, and truthful so ensuring that ICU beds are available, peculiarly for those who request them," helium said.

Despite the affirmative trends successful handling the pandemic successful the Western Pacific region, mostly done precocious vaccination rates, “we cannot beryllium complacent," Kasai said.

Globally, cases person been expanding for 7 consecutive weeks and the fig of deaths has started to emergence again too, driven mostly by the delta variant and decreased usage of protective measures successful different parts of the world, helium said.

“We should not beryllium amazed to spot much surges successful the future. As agelong arsenic transmission continues, the microorganism tin proceed to mutate arsenic the emergence of omicron demonstrates, reminding america of the request to enactment vigilant," Kasai said.

He warned particularly astir the likelihood of surges owed to much gatherings and question of radical during the vacation season. The bluish wintertime play volition apt bring different infectious respiratory diseases specified arsenic influenza alongside COVID-19, Kasai said.

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“It is wide that this pandemic is acold from implicit and I cognize that radical are disquieted astir omicron," helium said. “But my connection contiguous is that we tin accommodate the mode we negociate this microorganism to amended header with the aboriginal surges and trim their health, societal and economical impacts."

The WHO Western Pacific Region includes 37 countries and areas from Palau to Mongolia.

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