Omicron Cases Doubling Every 1.5 to 3 Days in Areas With Local Spread: WHO

Much is still not known about the Omicron variant, including the severity of the illness caused by it.

The WHO had designated Omicron as a variant of concern on 26 November.

(Photo: The Quint)

The number of Omicron cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in an update on Saturday, 18 December.

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been reported in at least 89 countries across the world so far.

The WHO had designated Omicron as a variant of concern on 26 November but much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness caused by the variant.

"There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron. More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity."

WHO

Though Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, the WHO says it is unclear if this is due to the virus' ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both.

'Avoid Non-essential Travel and Mass Gatherings': ICMR

As many as 101 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in 11 states in India so far, including 32 in Maharashtra and 22 in Delhi, the Health Ministry said at a press briefing on Friday, 17 December.

"This is the time to avoid non-essential travel and mass gatherings, and it is very important to observe low-intensity festivities," Director General of the Indian Council for Medical Research Dr Balram Bhargava said at the weekly COVID-19 briefing.