Syringes with needles are seen in the front of a displayed stock graph and words Omicron SARS-CoV- 2 in this illustration taken November 27, 2021. REUTERS Dado Ruvic Illustration
The Pan American Health Organization PAHO said on Wednesday that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus is likely to spread to other countries in North and South America after being detected in Canada and Brazil.
WHO officials said 24 countries have reported cases of the variant, prompting many nations to tighten their borders. It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, adding that it will take time to test the variant.
Speed and transparency are very important at this time. But above all, we urge people not to be frightened. Experts will not have enough evidence to determine the degree of transmissibility or severity of the Omicron variant, or to assess the effectiveness of the COVID 19 vaccines against it until the neutralization tests and other laboratory assays are completed, according to Etienne, who spokeswoman for the Webcast news conference.
Over the last week in North America, COVID 19 cases in Canada and the United States remained steady but high, while infections and deaths have dropped by over 20% in Mexico, the regional health agency said.
In Central America, every country except Panama has seen a reduction in infections and deaths, according to PAHO.
In South America, cases in Southern Cone countries have increased steadily for the past several weeks, while infections are plateauing in the Andean region and in Brazil.
Omicron was designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization on Friday.