A World Health Organization official warned Tuesday that more than half of the population in Europe could be exposed to the Omicron coronaviruses within the next two months.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said during a virtual press conference that the Omicron variant presents a new west to east tidal wave sweeping across the European region.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be affected by Omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks.
The variant of Omicron has been reported in 50 countries in Europe and central Asia, and is quickly becoming the dominant strain in western Europe.
Good protection against severe disease and death, including for Omicron, is provided by currently approved [COVID-19] vaccines.
Kluge said, "Because of the unprecedented scale of transmission, we are now seeing rising COVID-19 hospitalizations."
He said that it is challenging health systems and service delivery in many countries where Omicron has spread quickly.
The Omicron variant is spreading and new COVID-19 cases are shattering records.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
