PandemicPreparedness

The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a COVID-19 virtual press conference on 6 January 2022, emphasising the goal to vaccinate 70% of the world population by mid-2022. WHO’s previous goal to vaccinate 40% of the population by the end of 2021 was not met, with 10 countries vaccinating only 10% of their population due to the lack of global solidarity in distributing vaccines equitably.

The Omicron variant of concern, although preliminary evidence suggests it is clinically less severe, has greater transmissibility than previous variants, causing more people to be hospitalised and creating stress upon healthcare systems. The WHO experts explained that the best way to prevent severe illness is to get vaccinated, and until the world population reaches higher rates of vaccination, the SARS-CoV-2 virus will continue to produce variants.

The “IHU” variant (B.1.640) that was detected in September 2021 and declared a “variant under monitoring” in November 2021 is currently being monitored due to its large number of mutations. It is still early to speculate much on the variant, but the low prevalence of IHU in the population is the reason why it has not been classified as a “variant of concern,” like the Delta and Omicron variants.

The experts reemphasised WHO’s recommendations on preventing the spread of COVID-19. This includes wearing an appropriate face mask, maintaining appropriate social distance from those outside your main household, limiting time spent in spaces with poor ventilation, getting tested regularly if possible, alerting close contacts if you test positive, seeking early clinical care when feeling unwell, and getting vaccinated and boosted.