So far there have been no deaths caused by the omicron strain of the coronavirus, Christian Lindmeier, spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday during a UN briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I have not yet seen reports of deaths related to the omicron variant,” the official said. However, in his opinion “it is highly recommended that vaccine manufacturers start planning in advance […] the likelihood of having to adjust the existing vaccine, “he said.” It is best not to wait until the final alarm bell rings, “Lindmeier stressed.
This Tuesday, the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported that the organization continues to study the impact of the new strain. “We are learning more all the time about omicron, but there is still more to learn about its impact on transmission, the severity of the disease, the effectiveness of tests, therapeutics and vaccines,” Tedros said.