WHO Says There Is No Data On Death Cases Due To The Corona Virus Omicron Variant, Don't Forget The Delta Variant

Illustration of WHO headquarters. (Wikimedia Commons/Thorkild Tylleskar)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) through its spokesman said there had been no reports of deaths related to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Friday.

The WHO says it is gathering evidence about the variant of concern (VOC), as countries around the world struggle to stop its spread. But, despite a growing number of countries registering infections with the new variant, no deaths have been reported to the UN health agency.

"I have not seen any reports of deaths related to the Omicron variant," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva, citing AFP's The New Indian Express on Dec. 2.

"We are gathering all the evidence and we will find more evidence as time goes on."

"As more countries continue to test people and look specifically at Omicron variants, we will also find more cases, more information and, hopefully not, but also possible deaths."

While the Omicron variant has rocked the world, Lindmeier also urged people to pay attention to the Delta variant, which accounts for 99.8 percent of the sequences uploaded to the global science initiative GISAID with specimens collected in the last 60 days.

"The Omicron variant may be on the rise, and we may get to a point where it takes over to become the dominant variant, but at this point, the very dominant variant remains the Delta variant," he stressed.

"Restrictions imposed in many countries just two weeks ago, economic shutdowns again, lockdowns in some areas, Christmas market closures in some parts of Europe - this was done before Omicron due to the rise of the Delta case. Don't forget this."

In addition, Lindmeier also urged people to use proven measures to protect themselves from the Delta variant, against the Omicron variant.

The WHO said it would take several weeks to get a complete picture of the transmission and severity of Omicron disease, and to assess how vaccines, tests, and treatments are holding up against the new variant. As Omicron spread, information emerged from various countries.

"What we need to do is we need to take all these observations, assessments, and tests and gather this information and then have the experts look at it, weigh it carefully and make a judgment. It's still going to take time," Lindmeier said.

"Initial data suggest that there is a higher transmission. But that's basically all we have so far."