Africa Business Radio

The World Health Organization says the Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms according to early data. The WHO says Omicron had spread to 63 countries as of December 9. The faster transmission was noted in South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain. It however stressed that a lack of data meant it could not say if Omicron’s rate of transmission was because it was less prone to immune responses, higher transmissibility or a combination of both. The WHO says early evidence suggests Omicron causes a reduction in vaccine efficacy against infection and transmission.