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Geneva/New Delhi | Jagran World Desk: World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that Omicron strain of coronavirus is 'spreading at an unprecedented rate' and its presence is possible 'probably in all countries, news agency AFP reported.
"77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron and the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," Dr Tedros A Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO said on Tuesday.
"Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," WHO chief said.
The WHO chief also emphasised that many people all over the world were dismissing Omicron as a mild variant.
"Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems," Dr Tedros said.
WHO against vaccine inequity, not boosters: Dr Tedros
The WHO Director General said that the UN Health body is not against the booster doses but rather vaccine inequity.
"Let me be very clear: WHO is not against boosters. We’re against inequity. Our main concern is to save lives, everywhere. It’s really quite simple: The priority in every country, and globally, must be to protect the least protected, not the most protected,” he said.
"There remains a vast gap in rates of #COVID19 vaccination between countries:
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 14, 2021
-41 countries still haven't been able to vaccinate 10% of their populations
-98 countries have not reached 40%
We also see significant inequities between population groups in the same country"-@DrTedros
Meanwhile, Omicron cases topped the figure of 50 all over India on Tuesday, as 8 new cases were discovered in Maharashtra and 4 in Delhi. Of 8 Omicron cases in Maharashtra, 7 were reported from Mumbai alone. The state health department said that none of the Omicron cases reported on Tuesday from Mumbai had a history of international travel.
