Omicron: WHO Warns Unvaccinated To Halt Their Overseas Travel
by Naba Batool
SHARES
Shots should refrain from traveling because they are highly vulnerable to acquiring this deadly disease.
Preliminary report of #Omicron says Omicron is 1.3x more transmissible than Delta, & unvaccinated have 2.4x greater risk of severe. Those with BOOSTERS: 90% lower risk of severe outcome. But it’s only early ➡️main worry is if 2 doses enough—data is coming.https://t.co/3hPWsYclpX
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 1, 2021
WHO further went on to focus that blanket travels are unable to cope up with the wild-fire-like spread of this 5th covid-19 variant.
Deemed as very high risk globally, omicron has caused many countries to proceed with travel bans.
In a statement released WHO emphasized that:
"Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,"
"In addition, they can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological and sequencing data."
WHO first reported this deadly strain in South Africa a year ago and yet this virus has already invaded several countries at this current moment.
This has led to several countries taking radical measures such as shutting their borders and this extends to imposing a ban on those countries where this variant has made a successful appearance.
As of Sunday, 56 countries have imposed travel restrictions so that they can stop the virus from invading their perimeters.
"It is expected that the Omicron variant will be detected in an increasing number of countries as national authorities step up their surveillance and sequencing activities,"
This statement also encompassed the fact that travel bans solely are not going to undo the whole situation thus an evidence-informed and risk-based approach is needed.
