Hospitalisations, deaths due to Omicron may rise, warns WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects a rise in the number of hospitalisations and deaths due to the new Omicron strain of coronavirus.

“As case numbers linked to a variant of concern increase globally, we expect the number of hospitalised cases and even deaths to be reported,” the WHO said in a statement.

The top global health body expressed concern about several countries lacking the capacity to consistently analyse cases or deaths, which will make it much more challenging to provide accurate information on deaths related to a particular variant.

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The WHO cautioned that the Omicron strain’s severity will be known only in the coming few weeks. “Further information is needed to fully understand the clinical picture of those infected with Omicron and WHO encourages countries to contribute to the collection and sharing of hospitalised patient data through the WHO COVID-19 Clinical Data Platform,” the statement read.

The WHO has already stated that Omicron is spreading faster than the Delta variant. The organisation conducted a study that found that a full two-dose vaccination course was less effective against Omicron than Delta. Moderate to high vaccine effectiveness against mild infection of 70-75% was seen in the early period after a booster dose.

India’s Omicron tally rose to 49 on Tuesday afternoon with Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat adding more cases of the COVID-19 variant.

Omicron has now been reported in six states- Maharashtra (20), Rajasthan (9), Karnataka (3), Gujarat (4), Kerala (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1) and two union territories- Delhi (6) and Chandigarh (1).