The World Health Organization stated on the 18th that 89 countries around the world have notified cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant virus, and in the areas where community transmission occurs, the number of confirmed cases will double every 1.5 to 3 days.
Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with a high degree of population immunity, but it is still unclear whether this virus strain is better at evading immune responses, or because it is inherently more infectious, or both.
The WHO quickly listed the virus as a variant of concern on November 26 after the Omicron case was first detected. The outside world still knows little about Omicron, including the severity of symptoms after infection.
Regarding the clinical severity of Omicron, relevant data are still limited. To understand its severity profile, and how vaccination and existing immunity affects the severity, more information is needed.
The WHO also warned that due to the rapid increase in new confirmed cases, hospitals may be overwhelmed in some places.
