2022-01-11, 06:54 PM
More than half of Europe could catch Covid-19 in two months, WHO expert warns
(CNN)The Omicron variant is forecasted to infect more than half of all Europeans in the next six to eight weeks, a World Health Organization official said Tuesday as he urged nations to strengthen mask rules and warned that the window to act was closing.
Record Covid-19 cases have put Europe under increased pressure this winter, with some countries scaling up restrictions and others, like Austria, Greece and Italy, announcing new vaccine requirements.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual news conference that European and Central Asian countries remain "under intense pressure from Covid-19" in 2022.
"Today, the Omicron variant represents a new West to East tidal wave sweeping across the region on top of the Delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021," he said Tuesday.
"At this rate the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks."
He called on countries not yet affected by the surge "to mandate the use of high quality masks in closed and indoor settings and ensure that vulnerable individuals have access to them" due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Theo CNN
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(CNN)The Omicron variant is forecasted to infect more than half of all Europeans in the next six to eight weeks, a World Health Organization official said Tuesday as he urged nations to strengthen mask rules and warned that the window to act was closing.
Record Covid-19 cases have put Europe under increased pressure this winter, with some countries scaling up restrictions and others, like Austria, Greece and Italy, announcing new vaccine requirements.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual news conference that European and Central Asian countries remain "under intense pressure from Covid-19" in 2022.
"Today, the Omicron variant represents a new West to East tidal wave sweeping across the region on top of the Delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021," he said Tuesday.
"At this rate the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation forecasts that more than 50% of the population in the region will be infected with Omicron in the next 6 to 8 weeks."
He called on countries not yet affected by the surge "to mandate the use of high quality masks in closed and indoor settings and ensure that vulnerable individuals have access to them" due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Theo CNN
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