WHO calls on countries to be “rational” in facing “Omicron”

NEW YORK, Dec. 01 (YPA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called on the countries of the world to remain calm and take “rational” measures to respond to the fast-spreading new Corona virus “Omicron”.

“We call on all member states to take rational and proportionate measures to reduce risks,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing to countries. “The global response must be calm, coordinated and coherent.”

The first case was known as the “Omicron” mutant in South Africa, according to the Organization, less than a week ago, and the new strain spread rapidly across continents, and dozens of countries announced travel restrictions.

The organization warned of such restrictions, fearing that they would be unfair to the countries that discovered the mutations, and that they might undermine efforts to monitor the spread and developments of these variables.

At the same time, WHO chief stressed that it is still not clear how dangerous the new mutant is, adding: “We still have more questions than answers about the effect of Omicron on disease transmission and severity, and the effectiveness of tests, treatments and vaccines against it.”

He expressed his concern that many countries impose explicit and comprehensive measures that are not based on evidence, which will only exacerbate inequality, as he put it.

YPA