The boss of the pharmaceutical laboratory Moderna on Tuesday displayed his pessimism about the effectiveness of current vaccines against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, at a time when new health restrictions are multiplying in the world, as in the United Kingdom and Japan.
Faced with what looks like panic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Tuesday called for “calm” and asked member states for a “rational” and “proportional” response to the spread of the variant.
Understanding “the concern of all countries to protect their citizens”, he also expressed “concern that several member states are taking general and brutal measures which are neither evidence-based nor effective in themselves, and which will only worsen inequalities “between countries.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Stéphane Bancel, the leader of Moderna, predicted a “significant drop” in the effectiveness of current vaccines against Omicron and estimated that it will take several months to develop a new one. “All the scientists I have spoken to (…) say + This is not going to do it +”, he assures us.
Various manufacturers, including Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech and Novavax have nevertheless expressed confidence in their ability to create a new vaccine against Covid-19. Russia has also announced that it is working on a version of its Sputnik V specifically targeting Omicron.
The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 5,206,370 people since its appearance at the end of 2019 in China, according to an AFP count.
Global screwdriver
Originally reported in South Africa last week, this new strain has been spotted on all continents, from Canada to Italy, including Japan, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom. .
Many states have suspended travel to southern Africa, instituted preventive measures and, for the wealthiest, urged their populations to get a booster shot.
In the United Kingdom, a country among the most bereaved by the pandemic (nearly 145,000 dead), wearing a mask in transport and shops became mandatory again on Tuesday. All arriving travelers must take a PCR test and self-isolate until the result.
As of this weekend, London no longer accepted non-British people from 10 African countries (South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola).
Europe, facing a new epidemic wave, seems the continent most affected by Omicron.
The Netherlands reported 14 passengers arriving from South Africa carrying Omicron. But the variant was already in circulation in the country on November 19, almost a week before the South African announcement on the existence of the variant, according to the Dutch authorities.
France reported its first case on Tuesday, on Reunion Island, and now recommends vaccination for 5-11 year olds at risk of a severe form of Covid. The European regulator approved the vaccine for 5-11 year olds a few days ago.
In Germany, which is experiencing a real outbreak, the Constitutional Court has deemed justified and proportional the partial containment measures taken by the government since the start of the pandemic, paving the way for an upcoming further tightening of restrictions. The future Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was in favor of compulsory vaccination.
In Asia, Japan, three weeks after easing certain restrictions, has banned since Tuesday “all entries of foreign nationals”. The government confirmed its first case of Omicron on Tuesday in a man returning from Namibia.
Israel (a confirmed case) has also closed its doors to foreigners since Sunday.
Don’t “panic”
Never has a variant of Covid-19 caused so much concern since the emergence of Delta, currently dominant and already very contagious.
“There are reasons to be concerned about this new variant, but no reason to panic,” US President Joe Biden said on Monday.
The United States, the country most bereaved in the world by Covid-19 (nearly 780,000 dead), which had reopened to the rest of the world in early November, banned entry to travelers from eight southern African countries .
The WHO considers “high” the “probability that Omicron spreads globally”, even if many unknowns remain: contagiousness, effectiveness of existing vaccines, severity of symptoms.
Reassuringly, to date, no deaths associated with Omicron have been reported.
Exponential rise
In South Africa, the majority of new infections are already linked to Omicron and the government is predicting an exponential rise.
These data suggest that the variant has a great potential for propagation and reminds us of the urgency of vaccination on a global scale, the only one capable of controlling the epidemic, while Africa is very little vaccinated.
The variant could weigh on the economy and inflation, warned the president of the US central bank Jerome Powell, stressing “downside risks to jobs and economic activity”.
On Tuesday, world stock markets and oil retreated sharply in the face of Omicron’s advance.
China, for its part, acknowledged that Omicron would complicate the organization of the Beijing Winter Olympics (February 4-20, 2022), but reaffirmed its confidence in their success.
burx-mba / sg
■
Download Antonio Flores – Esencial Antonio Flores Album Mp3 Zip
Download Eisbrecher – Liebe macht Monster Album Mp3 Zip
Download Kevo Muney – Lucille’s Grandson Album Mp3 Zip
Download Loving Caliber – Faster Car – EP Album Mp3 Zip
Download Lovebites – Electric Pentagram Album Mp3 Zip
Download CeCe Winans – Something’s Happening! A Christmas Album Album Mp3 Zip
Download Roosevelt – Roosevelt Album Mp3 Zip
Download Kanye West – Late Registration Album Mp3 Zip
Download Jonathan Roy – Mr. Optimist Blues Album Mp3 Zip
Download Purple Disco Machine – Exotica Album Mp3 Zip
Download Henrik Freischlader Band – Hands on the Puzzle Album Mp3 Zip
Download The Sound Defects – The Iron Horse Album Mp3 Zip
Download Harakiri for the Sky – Mære Album Mp3 Zip
Download Danna Paola – SIE7E + Album Mp3 Zip
Download Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe] Album Mp3 Zip
Download Passcode – Locus Album Mp3 Zip
Download Kaptain – Love Songs & Tears Album Mp3 Zip
Download Mallu Magalhães – Vem Album Mp3 Zip
Download Diego Verdaguer – Orgánico Album Mp3 Zip
Download Maui Ogo – I Know She Can Do This Album Mp3 Zip
Download Various Artists – プッチベスト 18 Album Mp3 Zip
Download GionnyScandal – Emo Album Mp3 Zip
Download The Limiñanas – Shadow People Album Mp3 Zip
Download America – 50th Anniversary: The Collection Album Mp3 Zip
Download Booze & Glory – Hurricane Album Mp3 Zip