World Health Organization advises people to get vaccinated as soon as possible

Due to its large number of mutations and possible faster rate of infection, the latest Covid-19 variant discovered in South Africa has been given the Greek name ‘Omicron’ and labeled as a variant of concern by UN health agency experts.

Preliminary evidence also suggests that this strain of concern has a higher risk of reinfection than other strains, such as Delta, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Currently, the number of cases appears to be rising in almost all of South Africa’s provinces.

According to the WHO, the variant has been detected at higher rates than in previous outbreaks, implying that it “may have a growth advantage.”

To better understand the variant, experts have asked countries to increase surveillance and genome sequencing efforts.

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A number of studies are currently underway, and the agency’s technical advisory group, known as TAG-VE, will continue to assess this variant. New findings will be communicated to member states and the general public as needed.

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said on Wednesday that information about the now-‘Omicron’ variant is still limited.

“We don’t know much about this because there are only about 100 whole genome sequences available.” “What we do know is that this variant has a lot of mutations, and the concern is that having a lot of mutations can affect how the virus behaves,” she said during a Twitter Q&A.

Researchers are currently trying to figure out where the mutations are and what they could mean for diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, according to Dr. Van Kerkhove.

“It’ll take a few weeks for us to figure out what impact this variant has; there’s a lot of work going on right now,” she said.

People can do a lot to protect themselves from Covid, according to WHO officials, including continuing to wear masks and avoiding crowds.

“Everyone out there needs to understand that the more this virus circulates, the more chances it has to change, and the more mutations we’ll see,” Dr. Van Kerkhove said.

“Get vaccinated as soon as possible, make sure you get the full course of your doses and take steps to reduce your exposure and prevent yourself from spreading the virus to others,” she added.