-
WHO warns Omicron wave to hit unvaccinated in Europe

The We For News reported that World Health Organisation (WHO) European Regional Director, Hans Kluge has warned that the Omicron variant could become more prevalent in Europe as the “tidal wave” of infections spreads eastward.
Kluge said on Tuesday: “I am also deeply concerned that as the variant moves east, we have yet to see its full impact in countries where levels of vaccination uptake are lower. We will see more severe disease in the unvaccinated."
According to him, the Omicron variant, now spreading into the Balkans, is already present in 50 of the 53 countries in the region spanning Europe and Central Asia.
He added: “At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that more than 50 per cent of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks."

Kluge said the hospitalisations were rising due to the unprecedented scale of transmissions in the region.
To better manage the coronavirus’s destructive impact on health services, economies and societies, the WHO official called for practical actions, including acting immediately and planning for contingencies, and prioritising response systems during the “closing window of opportunity”.
WHO says Omicron risk is still 'very high'
He also emphasised the importance of protecting the vulnerable and “minimising disruption to health systems and essential services”.
The WHO official also urged schools to remain open.
“Keeping schools open benefits children’s mental, social and educational well-being significantly. School buildings Kluge added: should be the last to close and the first to reopen.”
Additionally, he outlined his five pandemic stabilising mantras: vaccination, third doses or boosters, increased mask use, ventilation of crowded or enclosed spaces and the continued use of new clinical protocols to guide the response to Delta or Omicron.
WHO urges people to cancel some of holiday plans over fear of Omicron
And the WHO Europe also said it’s “way off” from treating the Covid-19 as endemic.
“We’re still a way off. Endemicity assumes, first of all, a stable circulation of the virus at predictable levels and potentially known and predictable waves of epidemic transmission,” said Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Services Officer at WHO Europe, when asked about opinion on Spain’s recent request to the European Union to discuss the possibility of Covid-19 being classified as an endemic illness, similar to the flu or malaria, which is always present in a particular population or region.
WHO advises against using blood plasma for COVID-19 patients
She added: “What we’re seeing at the moment coming into 2022 is nowhere near that… We still have a virus that’s evolving quite quickly and posing quite new challenges… and there’s still a lot of unpredictability.”
Source: wefornews
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!