'Omicron is NOT common cold': WHO COVID-19 technical head warns amid rising cases

As world is witnessing a massive surge in cases owing to highly transmissible Omicron variant, WHO COVID-19 technical he Maria Van Kerkhove on Tuesday warned that this new variant was not just a 'common cold'. Taking it to Twitter, Maria Van stated though Omicron causes less serious illness than or forms of virus, re were too many people being hospitalized and dying of virus. She furr ded that through vaccine equity, infections could be prevented. Vaccine equity ensures that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed fairly to all populations, and are accessible to all in spite of people's socio economic status. 

'Omicron is NOT common cold': Maria Van Kerkhove.

"Omicron is NOT common cold. While some reports show a reduced risk of hospitalisation of Omicron compared to Delta, re are still far too many people infected, in hospital sick & dying from Omicron (& Delta). We can prevent infections, save lives now", she tweeted. 

WHO COVID technical he Pedicts 'Pandemic can End In 2022' 

Earlier In December 2021, Maria Van Kerkhove predicted that pandemic will be ericated globally by 2022.  spreing pandemic has engulfed entire world, and everyone is suffering as a result. In November, as people were battling Delta variant, a new COVID variant, Omicron emerged. During WHO Q&A session, she said, "2022 is year we can end COVID-19 pandemic as we have tools now. We can take death out of COVID-19."

According to a study published on Mckinsey, experts predict that COVID will be declared "non-pandemic" by 2022, owing to increased global vaccination rates and introduction of antiviral COVID pills that could become more widely available next year. Inste, virus will most certainly become "endemic", decreasing in severity and disappearing into background of daily life. From Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to swine flu pandemic of 2009, several strains of influenza have followed a similar trend throughout last century or so. COVID, like flu, is likely to remain hazardous until pandemic is over, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.