Studies indicate that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 affects the upper respiratory tract more. The confirmation is from the World Health Organization, WHO, given this Tuesday.

Abdi Mahamud, an epidemiologist with the UN agency, says it is good news that the variant does not reach the lungs like other strains of coronavirus.

He says that more scientific analysis is needed to understand how Omicron works in the body.

However, he assures us that evidence from South Africa, where the variant was discovered, indicates that existing vaccines continue to protect against the disease, especially reducing the risk of hospitalization or severe symptoms from Covid-19.

Mahamud, says the challenge remains the same: to make sure that the most vulnerable population receives the immunizing doses, so that the goal of having 70% of the world's population fully vaccinated by the middle of this year can be reached.

The WHO epidemiologist cited the example of South Africa, where despite a large increase in new Covid-19 cases, there was no increase in deaths. Abdi Mahamud pointed out that countries cannot "drive a path out of the pandemic" while Omicron is spreading quite intensely.

Before the holiday season, 128 countries had already reported cases of the new variant. The epidemiologist assures that the vaccines protect, but warns that unimmunized people can be strongly affected by Omicron, no matter how "mild" this strain may be.

According to the WHO expert, coronavirus is more likely to replicate in crowded, poorly ventilated environments where there are unvaccinated people.

Source Lusa