WHO has for the first time in these two years have indicated that the pandemic could come to an ‘end’.
Recently in an interview Hans Kluge, the WHO Europe director, said, “It is plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame.”
Omicron moved Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase
The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase which could bring it to an end. And the pandemic will convert into a seasonal flu, mentioned the WHO Europe director.
Previously, WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said ‘as enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m confident that this will be the year we end it – but only if we do it together.’
However, WHO officials have warned that before the pandemic ends most of the world’s population will be infected by it.
The WHO official’s comments show some ray of hope for Europe, currently reeling under the highly transmissible Omicron-led wave, and also for the rest of the world.
Pandemic will shift to seasonal flu
Studies have shown the Omicron variant, generally leads to less severe infection than the Delta variant. At least among vaccinated people, it has raised hopes that COVID-19 is starting to shift.
It has slowly started to shift from a pandemic to a more manageable endemic illness like seasonal flu.
Kluge also said, “There is a lot of talk about endemic, but endemic means… that it is possible to predict what’s going to happen. This virus has surprised (us) more than once so we have to be very careful.”
ALSO READ: INDIA RECORDS NEARLY 3 LAKH COVID-19 CASES; POSITIVITY RATE JUMPS FROM 17.78% TO 20.75%
