Omicron variant, WHO: “It is in 106 countries, underestimated cases”

The Omicron variant is now present in 106 countries. While the majority of cases identified in November were travel-related, local transmission with associated clusters is now reported in several countries. The World Health Organization highlights this in the weekly epidemiological update. Delta still remains dominant, but Omicron’s circulation is underestimated: out of 1,051,598 sequences, 1,009,253 (96%) were Delta and only 16,988 (1.6%) Omicron, while the other variants are around 0.1 %. But data on the global distribution of variants, according to WHO, should be interpreted taking into account the limitations of surveillance, including differences in sequencing capacity and sampling strategies between countries, as well as delays in reporting cases. Read also Since the latest update published on December 14, other states in all six WHO regions have reported confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, which circulates in 106 countries. In the UK and South Africa, among the hardest hit, hospitalizations continue to rise and, given the rapid increase in cases, it is possible that health systems could be overwhelmed by this new wave, warns WHO.