The next Covid variant will be more contagious than omicron, but the question is whether it will be more deadly, WHO says

RT: Maria Van Kerkhove, Head a.i. Emerging Diseases and Zoonosis at the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks during a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, January 29, 2020.

The next Covid-19 variant will be more infectious than omicron, but the real question is whether or not it will be more deadly.

Over the last week, 21 million Covid cases were reported to the WHO, setting a new global record for weekly cases from the rapidly spreading omicron variant, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's Covid-19 technical lead.

The sheer volume of cases is crushing hospital systems around the world.

The next variant of concern will be more transmissible because it will have to overtake what is currently circulating.

She warned against buying into the idea that the virus will continue to evolve into milder strains that will make people less sick.

There is no guarantee of that. We hope that that is the case, but there is no guarantee of that and we can't bank on it, she said, noting that people should heed public safety measures in the meantime. The next iteration of Covid could make the existing vaccines even less effective.

Concerns grow that the current shots aren't holding up against infections and mild illness, as Pfizer started testing a Covid vaccine that specifically targets theomicron variant.

A study published last week found that a booster dose of Pfizer's vaccine was effective at preventing hospitalization from omicron 14 days after the third shot was administered.

Data from the U.K. Health Security Agency shows that booster doses are 75% effective at preventing infections from omicron two to four weeks after the third shot. The study found that boosters weaken after about 10 weeks.

The WHO said that omicron is gaining ground in other countries.

The WHO's director of emergency programs said that the virus will evolve before it settles into a pattern. It will hopefully settle into a low level of transmission with occasional epidemics. He said it could become more seasonal or affect vulnerable groups.

He said that the problem is that Covid is unpredictable.

Ryan said that the virus has given them some nasty surprises. If there is a nasty surprise that we can put in place measures again that will stop this new variant doing any more damage, then we should be ready.