WHO warns that new virus variant poses ‘very high’ risk

By JAMEY KEATEN, RAF CASERT and MARI YAMAGUCHI

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization warned Monday that the planetary hazard from the omicron variant is “very high” based connected the aboriginal evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could pb to surges with “severe consequences.”

The appraisal from the U.N. wellness agency, contained successful a method insubstantial issued to subordinate states, amounted to WHO’s strongest, astir explicit informing yet astir the caller mentation that was archetypal identified days agone by researchers successful South Africa.

It came arsenic a widening ellipse of countries astir the satellite reported cases of the variant and moved to slam their doors successful an act-now-ask-questions-later attack portion scientists contention to fig retired conscionable however unsafe the mutant mentation mightiness be.

Japan announced it is barring introduction to each overseas visitors, joining Israel successful doing so. Morocco banned each incoming flights. Other countries, including the U.S. and members of the European Union, person moved to prohibit travelers arriving from confederate Africa.

WHO said determination are “considerable uncertainties” astir the omicron variant. But it said preliminary grounds raises the anticipation that the variant has mutations that could assistance it some evade an immune-system effect and boost its quality to dispersed from 1 idiosyncratic to another.

“Depending connected these characteristics, determination could beryllium aboriginal surges of COVID-19, which could person terrible consequences, depending connected a fig of factors, including wherever surges whitethorn instrumentality place,” it added. “The wide planetary hazard … is assessed arsenic precise high.”

The WHO stressed that portion scientists are hunting grounds to amended recognize this variant, countries should accelerate vaccinations arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

While nary deaths linked to omicron person been reported truthful far, small is known for definite astir the variant, including whether it is much contagious, much apt to origin superior unwellness oregon much capable to evade vaccines. Last week, a WHO advisory sheet said it mightiness beryllium much apt to re-infect radical who person already had a bout with COVID-19.

Spain connected Monday became 1 of the latest countries to study its archetypal confirmed omicron case, detected successful a traveler who returned Sunday from South Africa aft making a stopover successful Amsterdam.

While the immense bulk of infections recorded astir the satellite person been successful travelers arriving from abroad, cases successful Portugal and Scotland person raised fears that the variant whitethorn already beryllium spreading locally.

“Many of america mightiness deliberation we are done with COVID-19. It’s not done with us,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general.

Days aft the variant sent a shudder done the fiscal satellite astir 2 years into the pandemic that has killed implicit 5 cardinal people, markets had a mixed absorption Monday. European stocks rebounded and Wall Street opened higher, portion Asian markets fell further.

U.S. President Joe Biden called the omicron variant a origin for interest but “not a origin for panic.” He said helium is not considering immoderate wide U.S. lockdown and alternatively urged mask-wearing and vaccinations, adjacent arsenic a national justice blocked his medication from enforcing a request that thousands of wellness attraction workers successful 10 states get the shot.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, manager of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reacted to the imaginable menace by urging everyone 18 and older to get booster shots, due to the fact that “strong immunity volition apt forestall superior illness.” Earlier this month, the U.S. opened boosters to each adults but recommended them lone for those 50 and older oregon radical successful semipermanent care.

The omicron infections person underscored the trouble successful keeping the microorganism successful cheque successful a globalized satellite of pitchy question and unfastened borders. Yet galore countries are trying to bash conscionable that, against the urging of the WHO, which noted that borderline closings often person constricted effect and tin wreak havoc connected lives and livelihoods.

Some person argued that specified restrictions tin bargain invaluable clip to analyse the caller variant.

While the archetypal planetary effect to COVID-19 was criticized arsenic dilatory and haphazard, the absorption to the omicron variant came quickly.

“This clip the satellite showed it is learning,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling retired South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise. “South Africa’s analytic enactment and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable successful allowing a swift planetary response.”

Late past week, von der Leyen successfully pushed the 27-nation EU to hold to prohibition flights from 7 confederate African nations, akin to what galore different countries are doing.

Cases person been reported successful specified places arsenic Canada, Germany, Britain, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal, wherever authorities identified 13 omicron infections among members of the Belenenses nonrecreational shot team.

Taking nary chances, Japan, which has yet to observe immoderate omicron cases, reimposed borderline controls that it had eased earlier this month.

“We are taking the measurement arsenic an exigency precaution to forestall a worst-case script successful Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

Israel likewise decided to barroom introduction to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend each incoming flights for 2 weeks.

Britain reacted by expanding its COVID-19 booster programme to everyone 18 and older, making millions much radical eligible. Up until now, booster shots were disposable lone to those 40 and implicit and radical peculiarly susceptible to the virus. The U.K. has reported astir a twelve omicron cases.

Despite the planetary worry, doctors successful South Africa are reporting patients are suffering mostly mild symptoms truthful far. But they pass that it is early. Also, astir of the caller cases are successful radical successful their 20s and 30s, who mostly bash not get arsenic sick from COVID-19 arsenic older patients.

The variant has provided further impervious of what experts person agelong been saying: that nary continent volition beryllium harmless until the full globe has been sufficiently vaccinated. The much the microorganism is allowed to spread, the much opportunities it has to mutate.

“The emergence of the omicron variant has fulfilled, successful a precise way, the predictions of the scientists who warned that the elevated transmission of the microorganism successful areas with constricted entree to vaccine would velocity its evolution,” said Dr. Richard Hatchett, caput of CEPI, 1 of the founders of the U.N.-backed planetary vaccine sharing inaugural COVAX.

___

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo, Casert from Brussels. Associated Press journalists from astir the satellite contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP’s sum of the coronavirus pandemic astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic