Key Highlights:
- Omicron is the latest mutation of COVID-19 but not the last to tackle, reports WHO.
- The UN health agency is tracking four different mutations of Omicron.
- Omicron variant BA.2 accounts for 97% spread across the countries raising concerns.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reported that the COVID-19 variants are the wild card and there might be a new variant to tackle. Maria Van Kerkhove from WHO asserted that the Omicron variant is not the only concern as the UN health agency is tracking four different variants.
Her statement covered that even with the long-term dwelling pandemic, the researchers are not successful at knowing everything about the virus. We have witnessed that COVID-19 is capable of altering to newer mutations.
Maria Van Kerkhove states, “We know a lot about this virus, but we don’t know everything. And quite frankly, the variants are the wild card. So we are tracking this virus in real-time as it mutates as it changes…But this virus has a lot of room to move.”
Omicron is not the only concern
New COVID variant is the latest health concern but it will not be the last health concern discussed by the WHO. There is a probability of a new variant emerging soon. Thus, there is a vital need for people to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus and also abide by the pandemic norms.
Van Kerkhove has already discussed the possibility of a new Omicron variant emerging. However, the team was yet unclear on how will it affect the population and will it be more contagious than Omicron or more deadly.
WHO monitoring Omicron variants
Omicron has been reported to have four sub-variants: BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3
These sub-variants are being monitored by the WHO. BA.2 is reported to be more transmissible than BA.1. It is predicted that BA.2 might be the detected variant spreading across the world.
The UN health agency’s weekly epidemiological report suggested that the new variant is increasingly dominant, which makes up nearly 97% of all positive cases.
Also read: Celebrities do not need COVID-19 vaccination
