‘Omicron rapidly replacing Delta in almost all nations’

Hairdressers in protective suits cut residents’ hair at a residential block which has become under lockdown in Xi’an in northwest China, on January 9. China is battling multiple coronavirus outbreaks in half a dozen cities. Pic/AP

The Omicron variant is driving a huge spike in Covid infections across countries but the death rate is stable, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

Last week, more than 15 million new cases of Covid-19 were reported to WHO from around the world - by far the most cases reported in a single week. While these are official estimates, the actual numbers could be really high."This huge spike in infections is being driven by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly replacing Delta in almost all countries," said Ghebreyesus at his press address on Wednesday.

People wear mandatory face masks at a subway station in the city centre of Essen, Germany, on Wednesday

"However, the number of weekly reported deaths has remained stable since October last year, at an average of 48,000 deaths a week," he added. This could be due to the reduced severity of Omicron, and widespread immunity from vaccination or previous infection, he noted. But for those who are unvaccinated "Omicron remains a dangerous virus", the WHO chief said. "Almost 50,000 deaths a week is 50,000 deaths too many", Ghebreyesus said.

People wearing masks walk on a street in the central business district in Beijing on Thursday. Pics/AP

"Learning to live with this virus does not mean we can, or should, accept this number of deaths." He stated that the world cannot "allow this virus a free ride" when so many people around the world remain unvaccinated. In Africa, for example, more than 85 per cent of people are yet to receive a single dose of vaccine. "We cannot end the acute phase of the pandemic unless we close this gap", he said. According to Ghebreyesus, the overwhelming majority of people admitted to hospitals around the world are unvaccinated. At the same time, while immunisations remain very effective at preventing severe disease and death, they do not fully prevent transmission.

Face coverings reduce emissions: Study

A study has found that masks reduce the distance airborne pathogens could travel, when speaking or coughing, by more than half compared to not wearing a mask. The research has been published in the ‘Journal of Infectious Diseases'. The findings are important as airborne viral pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, can be encapsulated and transmitted through liquid droplets and aerosols formed during human respiratory functions such as speaking and coughing. Knowing ways to reduce this transmission distance can help keep people safe and aid in managing responses to pandemics, such as Covid-19, which has resulted in global-scale infection, health care system overloads, and economic damage. "The research provides clear evidence and guidelines that 3 feet of distancing with face coverings are better than 6 feet of distancing without face coverings," said study co-author Kareem Ahmed, an associate professor in the University of Central Florida. The researchers found that a cloth face-covering reduced emissions in all directions to about two feet compared to the four feet of emissions produced when coughing or speaking with no mask. The reduction was even greater when wearing a surgical mask, which reduced the distance coughing and speaking emissions travelled to only about half a foot.

UK ministers rally around embattled Johnson, for now

Senior British ministers on Thursday expressed support for Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson and rejected demands he resign for attending a garden party during the country's first coronavirus lockdown. Many other Conservatives held their tongues. Johnson apologised in the House of Commons on Wednesday for attending a "bring your own booze" party in the garden of the PM's Downing Street office and residence in May 2020 when citizens were banned from meeting people.

33,95,785
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

31,21,73,462
Total no. of cases worldwide

55,01,000
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

14
No. of participants in the study that included 11 men

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