Omicron risk is'very high,' according to the WHO, and Europe is facing a COVID surge

  • 29/12/2021

The risk posed by the Omicron variant is still "very high," according to the World Health Organization (WHO), after COVID-19 case numbers increased by 11% globally last week.

According to the WHO's COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update, Omicron is behind the rapid virus spikes in many countries, including those where it has already surpassed the previously dominant Delta variant, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

"Consistent evidence indicates that the Omicron variant has a growth advantage over the Delta variant, with a doubling time of two to three days and a rapid increase in the incidence of cases seen in a number of countries," the WHO said.

The news comes as several European countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and Portugal, set daily infection records.
In a 24-hour period, France reported nearly 180,000 cases.

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