WHO says measures towards delta work for omicron variant too

World Health Organisation officers within the Western Pacific say border closures adopted by some nations might purchase time to take care of the omicron coronavirus variant, however measures put in place and expertise gained in coping with the delta variant ought to stay the muse for combating the pandemic.
While just a few regional nations are going through surges, Covid-19 instances and deaths in lots of others have decreased and plateaued, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai informed reporters Friday in a digital information convention broadcast from Manila, Philippines.
“Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time. But every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Kasai mentioned. “The positive news in all of this is that none of the information we have currently about omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response.”

Much stays unknown in regards to the new variant, together with whether or not it’s extra contagious, as some well being authorities suspect, or if it makes folks extra critically in poor health, and whether or not it might probably thwart the vaccine.
Kasai mentioned omicron has been designated a variant of concern due to the variety of mutations and since early info suggests it could be extra transmissible than different variants of the virus. More testing and commentary is important, he mentioned.
Thus far, 4 nations and areas within the Western Pacific — Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea — have reported instances of the omicron variant, mentioned WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure. That quantity is prone to go up as extra instances are found globally, Olowokure mentioned.
India, Singapore and Malaysia have additionally reported their first instances within the final 24 hours.
“In terms of what countries should be doing now, our experiences over the last few years, especially in responding to delta, provides a guide of what we need to do, as well as how to cope with future surges in a more sustainable way,” he mentioned.
Those embody full vaccination protection, social distancing, masks sporting and different measures. Those can then be calibrated in response to the native context, Olowokure mentioned.
The objective is to “ensure we are treating the right patients in the right place at the right time, and so therefore ensuring that ICU beds are available, particularly for those who need them,” he mentioned.
Despite the constructive developments in dealing with the pandemic within the Western Pacific area, largely via excessive vaccination charges, “we cannot be complacent,” Kasai mentioned.
Globally, instances have been rising for seven consecutive weeks and the variety of deaths has began to rise once more too, pushed largely by the delta variant and decreased use of protecting measures in different elements of the world, he mentioned.
“We should not be surprised to see more surges in the future. As long as transmission continues, the virus can continue to mutate as the emergence of omicron demonstrates, reminding us of the need to stay vigilant,” Kasai mentioned.

He warned particularly in regards to the chance of surges as a result of extra gatherings and motion of individuals through the vacation season. The northern winter season will seemingly deliver different infectious respiratory ailments akin to influenza alongside Covid-19, Kasai mentioned.
“It is clear that this pandemic is far from over and I know that people are worried about omicron,” he mentioned. “But my message today is that we can adapt the way we manage this virus to better cope with the future surges and reduce their health, social and economic impacts.”
The WHO Western Pacific Region consists of 37 nations and areas from Palau to Mongolia.