WHO expecting ‘significant surge’ in European cases

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Europe is warning that countries in the region should prepare for a “significant surge” in COVID-19 cases.

Hans Kluge made the remarks during a news conference in Vienna, where he advised people in the region, which also includes Turkey and Russia, to get booster shots as a form of protection, Reuters reported.

“We can see another storm coming,” Kluge reportedly said. “Within weeks, omicron will dominate in more countries of the region, pushing already stretched health systems further to the brink.”

“The booster is the single most important defense against omicron,” he added.

The omicron variant of the coronavirus has been reported in 38 of the countries that make up the WHO’s European region. It has become the dominant variant in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Portugal, Kluge said, according to Reuters.

“The sheer volume of new COVID-19 infections could lead to more hospitalizations and widespread disruption to health systems and other critical services,” he said. “Governments and authorities need to prepare our response systems for a significant surge.”

Nearly 89 percent of the people infected with omicron initially in Europe reported COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, sore throat and cough, Kluge said, according to the news service. He also noted that many of the cases were reported among adults in their 20s and 30s.

Earlier this week, WHO reported that the omicron variant is spreading faster than the delta variant and infecting people who have already been vaccinated, Reuters noted.