On Covid, WHO lists 3 misleading facts, says 'Omicron is not the last variant that we have to deal with'

Chandigarh, March 20

Amid rise in Covid-19 cases globally, WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove listed three misleading facts about the virus that is causing confusion among people.

“We have huge amounts of misinformation that’s out there. The misinformation that Omicron is mild. Misinformation that the pandemic is over. Misinformation that this is the last variant that we will have to deal with. This is really causing a lot of confusion,” Ms Kerkhove said.

She said Covid-19 vaccines remain incredibly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against Omicron.

China on Saturday reported two Covid deaths, the first since January 2021, amid a spike in the coronavirus cases prompting authorities to rule out relaxing the much-criticised “dynamic zero-Covid” policy of restricting international travel to control the latest outbreak.

The latest surge in cases in the last few weeks was a two year high in the country, denting official claims of China being one of the best performers in curbing Covid pandemic.

New infections jumped by 8 per cent globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases. The biggest jump was in the WHO’s Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, where cases rose by 25 per cent and deaths by 27 per cent.