COVID-19: Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants, not more severe or transmissible, so far

(United Nations News) As the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 continues to evolve, we cannot afford to ‘lose sight’ of the changes, the UN health agency said on Wednesday, warning that lower case numbers and deaths do not necessarily mean ‘lower risk’.

Last week saw the lowest number of COVID-19 deaths since the early days of the pandemic, but some countries are still witnessing ‘serious spikes’ which are putting pressure on hospitals.

“Our ability to monitor trends is compromised as testing has significantly reduced”, the UN World Health Organization’s (WHO) director told journalists in Geneva.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that higher testing and sequencing rates are vital for scientists to track existing variants and to identify new ones as they emerge.

“At present there are a number of Omicron sub-lineages we’re following closely, including BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 and another recombinant detected, made up of BA.1 and BA.2”, he said.

Read more at: United Nations

Source: CARICOM TODAY