WHO’s Moscow envoy urges not to panic over omicron variant

WHO Representative to Russia Melita Vujnovic sees no grounds to panic over the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, because there is no information at the moment about the degree of protection that vaccines can offer against this strain.

"It seems to me there should be no panic, because we don't know yet whether... [the virus] can bypass the protective shield created by the vaccine, or to what degree its efficiency will be reduced," she said.

"There has been a theory that it [the omicron variant] can be more contagious [than other coronavirus strains]," she said, adding that scientists should wait and see how the new variant spreads.

"The beta variant was highly contagious as well," she said, referring to the beta strain, which was at the top of public and scientific concerns at the beginning of the year. However, it was the faster-spreading delta variant that eventually took the center stage.

In Europe, the omicron variant has already been detected in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. A suspected case has been reported in Austria, and the report is being verified.

Chief Medical Advisor to the US President and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci told Politico on Saturday that the omicron variant is spreading faster, but it is yet unclear whether it causes more severe symptoms.

When asked whether cases of the omicron infection have already been registered in the United States, Fauci replied: "There's no evidence that it is here but I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately land here."