Natalie Musumeci
Tue., January 11, 2022,
People waiting in front of a pharmacy to get a COVID-19 test in Paris on January 9.
Francois Mori/AP Photo
Over half of all Europeans could soon contract the Omicron coronavirus variant, a WHO official said.
Omicron "represents a new west-to-east tidal wave sweeping across the region," Dr. Hans Kluge said.
He said IHME forecast Omicron would infect over 50% of the region's population within eight weeks.
More than half of the population in Europe could be infected with the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant within the next two months, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said during a virtual press conference that the Omicron variant "represents a new west-to-east tidal wave sweeping across the region."
"At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next six to eight weeks," Kluge said.
Kluge added that 50 of the 53 countries in Europe and central Asia had reported cases of Omicron, and that the variant was "quickly" becoming the dominant strain in Western Europe as it spread to the Balkans.
The WHO official said, "Currently approved vaccines do continue to provide good protection against severe disease and death, including for Omicron."
But he added, "Because of the unprecedented scale of transmission, we are now seeing rising COVID-19 hospitalizations."
"It is challenging health systems and service delivery in many countries where Omicron has spread at speed, and threatens to overwhelm in many more," Kluge said.
New COVID-19 cases worldwide are shattering records as the Omicron variant spreads.
Over half of all Europeans could soon contract the Omicron coronavirus variant, a WHO official said.
Omicron "represents a new west-to-east tidal wave sweeping across the region," Dr. Hans Kluge said.
He said IHME forecast Omicron would infect over 50% of the region's population within eight weeks.
More than half of the population in Europe could be infected with the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant within the next two months, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said during a virtual press conference that the Omicron variant "represents a new west-to-east tidal wave sweeping across the region."
"At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next six to eight weeks," Kluge said.
Kluge added that 50 of the 53 countries in Europe and central Asia had reported cases of Omicron, and that the variant was "quickly" becoming the dominant strain in Western Europe as it spread to the Balkans.
The WHO official said, "Currently approved vaccines do continue to provide good protection against severe disease and death, including for Omicron."
But he added, "Because of the unprecedented scale of transmission, we are now seeing rising COVID-19 hospitalizations."
"It is challenging health systems and service delivery in many countries where Omicron has spread at speed, and threatens to overwhelm in many more," Kluge said.
New COVID-19 cases worldwide are shattering records as the Omicron variant spreads.
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