Omicron sweeps Europe and America… and a warning of the worst

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization in Europe has warned that a sharp rise in omicron infections worldwide could increase the possibility of a new, more dangerous mutation.

While the new mutant is spreading unchecked around the world, it appears to be less dangerous than initially feared, raising hopes that the epidemic can be defeated and a return to a normal life is possible.

However, WHO emergency officer Catherine Smallwood was cautious and said that the significant increase in the number of injuries could backfire.

She explained, “The greater the spread of the omicron, the higher the rate of infection and reproduction, which increases the chances of the emergence of a new mutant. Currently, the omicron is a deadly mutant that can cause death. Perhaps a little less than delta, but who can know what the new mutant will be.”

Celebrities and public figures injured

Celebrities and public figures joined the patients from king of sweden Carl Gustav XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia to Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and his Botswana counterpart Mokwetsi Masisi, passing through Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and football players Lucas Hernandez and Tanguy Nyanzo from Bayern Munich, who at least 8 of his players have been infected.

In the face of the alarming fifth wave of Corona, the United States recorded a world record number of more than one million daily infections, according to Johns Hopkins University data as of Monday evening.

But this number should be treated with caution because the number of cases recorded Monday is generally very high, especially after a long weekend at the end of the year, but it is double the cases recorded last Monday, after the three-day Christmas holiday.

Australia has also reported a record number of nearly 50,000 daily infections, causing a scramble for screening despite its high cost.

Record numbers in France and England

For its part, France recorded a record number of daily infections with Covid-19, amounting to 270,000 within 24 hours, according to the health authorities.

And Health Minister Olivier Veran had described the matter, earlier, on Tuesday, in front of the deputies as a “vertigo”, as this means that the “positivity rate”, or the percentage of infections among those who tested “Covid”, is now 15 percent.

In turn, the United Kingdom recorded more than 200,000 daily injuries on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference that activating emergency clinics and calling in medical volunteers backed by the army, meant that the National Health Service was “preparing for what looks like a state of war”.

“Anyone who thinks that our war with Covid is over is very mistaken. It is a moment that requires the utmost caution,” he added.

The current wave of the epidemic, which returned to strike hard at the end of 2021 with the emergence of Omicron, is causing an increase in absences due to illness. It is a phenomenon that causes dysfunction in several sectors, especially the health sector.

At least 6 hospitals in the UK have reported critical numbers of injuries among their staff, meaning the situation could affect their priority care services.

The staff shortage also affected the start of the school year in England, as the government renewed an invitation to retired teachers to come to fill the shortfall.

In the face of the Omicron tidal wave, governments have imposed new restrictions including encouraging remote work while putting pressure on the unvaccinated.

In France, the government wants to issue a certificate of vaccination, but the opposition has delayed the passage of the law on this, which is expected to be adopted in the coming days. Without this certificate, non-restaurants will not be able to attend recreational activities or enter restaurants.

For its part, Cyprus is expected to announce new measures on Wednesday, such as imposing restrictions on entry to places of entertainment and home visits, while the island recorded the highest infection rate in the world (2,505 cases per 100,000 inhabitants).

Also, the Indian capital, New Delhi, imposed new measures, including quarantine during the weekends.

China also quarantined more than one million additional people in a central town after discovering three asymptomatic infections, one month before the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The fashion world did not survive, as the Italian designer, George Armani, announced, on Tuesday, the cancellation of his collections shows, which were scheduled for this month in the framework of the Men’s Fashion Week in Milan and the Haute Couture Week in Paris, due to the significant rise in Covid-19 infections in Europe.

Severe infection with the omicron mutant is currently not accompanied by a significant increase in mortality. Since the emergence of the virus at the end of 2019, the epidemic has killed more than 5.4 million people, according to an AFP count.