Omicron Variant Of COVID Is Going Crazy In South Africa, WHO: There Is No Evidence That It Is More Contagious Than Other Variants

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) said that so far there is no evidence about the level of transmission and severity of the Omicron variant of the corona virus.

"It is not known for certain whether Omicron is more infectious (for example, more easily transmitted between humans) than other variants, such as Delta," the WHO said in a statement.

The WHO said the spike in the number of COVID-19 positive people and hospitalizations in South Africa, where the new variant was first reported and thought to be the source, did not mean that the transmission or severity of Omicron was higher.

The WHO stressed that "this is likely due to the high overall number of people infected rather than the specific impact of Omicron."

"There is currently no information to suggest that the symptoms associated with Omicron differ from those of the other variants," the statement said.

According to limited information, the WHO also warns that people who have previously been exposed to COVID-19 can be reinfected with Omicron more easily than other wary variants.

The WHO says further studies are needed to better understand the Omicron variant.

While studies on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and testing on Omicron are ongoing, drugs normally used to treat COVID-19 could still be effective in treating Omicron infections, he said.