Cautiously optimistic are top health officials about the evolution of the pandemic. "The acute phase of the pandemic may end in 2022, but the coronavirus will not disappear," warned Mike Ryan, the head of the World Health Organization's emergency response agency.
At the regular briefing for journalists, held online from Geneva, Ryan also said it was still too early to draw conclusions about the severity of the Omicron variant.
This could only be done after the variant has spread widely to older people.
Earlier, WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejesus expressed
concern that the "tsunami" of cases
of Omicron and Delta variants could bring health systems to the brink of "collapse".
"I am very concerned by the fact that Omicron, which is more contagious and released at the same time as Delta, may cause a tsunami of cases. This is putting and will continue to put enormous pressure on depleted health workers and health systems that are on the verge of collapse," said Tedros.
In the pandemic briefing, the WHO chief said that as the coronavirus evolves, it is likely that new variants will go off the rails and become fully resistant to vaccines or older infections, requiring "vaccine redesign".
"Ending health inequality remains the key to ending the pandemic," Gebrejesus further stressed."
"I also want to ensure that care with new treatments is available in every country. Governments to work with us in a campaign that aims for 70% vaccine coverage, in every country," he added, calling for equity in vaccine distribution.
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