WHO says Omicron variants are driving increase in COVID-19 cases in Africa

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that Africa is experiencing an increase in reported COVID-19 cases driven by Omicron sub-variants despite a global decline in reported cases and deaths.

South Africa’s infections, which began surging in late April, have been previously identified by the WHO as the main driver of an increase in the number of cases in Africa.

South Africa has reported more than 3.7 million COVID-19 cases and more than 100,000 deaths since the pandemic began.

“The South African scientists who identified Omicron late last year have now reported two more Omicron sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5, as the reason for a spike in cases in South Africa,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing.

The BA.4 sub-variant was first identified in January while the BA.5 sub-variant was identified in late February.

Ghebreyesus, however, said it was too early to conclude the strength and effects of the sub-variants.

“It’s too soon to know whether these new subvariants can cause more severe disease than other Omicron subvariants, but early data suggests vaccination remains protective against severe disease and death.”

This, he added, was also a clear sign that the pandemic was still a threat to the world and testing and sequencing remained essential to fighting the virus.

“The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants were identified because South Africa is still doing the vital genetic sequencing that many other countries have stopped doing.”

“In many countries, we’re essentially blind to how the virus is mutating. We don’t know what’s coming next.”

Ghebreyesus reiterated that vaccination, alongside public health and social measures, was the best way to protect people from COVID-19.

“Availability of vaccines has improved significantly, but a combination of lack of political commitment, operational capacity problems, financial constraints and hesitancy due to misinformation and disinformation is limiting demand for vaccines.”

We urge all countries to address these bottlenecks to protect their populations.”