By Reuters Dec 21, 2021 11:00:49 AM IST (Published)
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan added it would be "unwise" to conclude from early evidence that Omicron was a milder variant than previous ones.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan added it would be "unwise" to conclude from early evidence that Omicron was a milder variant than previous ones.
"With the numbers going up, all health systems are going to be under strain," Soumya Swaminathan told Geneva-based journalists.